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We can't build South Bend without a blueprint. I <br />am proud of the plaiming we have done over the yeazs <br />that has led to remarkable growth and important projects <br />in Downtown, the East Race, Blackthorn, Studebaker <br />Corridor, our Commercial Corridors and neighborhoods. <br />But, I am truly excited about our ongoing comprehensive <br />planning effort. It has been unprecedented for eliciting local resident input. Last yeaz, in the State <br />of the City address, I announced City Plan, a process that would "provide guiding principles for <br />future development in South Bend, look at innovative ways to <br />encourage participation in City governance, and propose a <br />framework for programs, policies and decisions." We aze well <br />underway with this process. <br />We kicked off the effort with An American City, a <br />stimulating lecture series on new ways to think about our city and our community. More than <br />1,300 people attended these sessions. Then, in August, I appointed members to the Civic Alliance. <br />These individuals are helping to guide the planning <br />process. They are our sounding boazd, a voice for the <br />community. They also act as "eazs"- Playing an <br />important role in the "listening" sessions attended by <br />neazly 600 citizens. We held twenty-two meetings <br />azound the city to reach out to every part of the <br />community. We also worked to include the voice of <br />young persons who will be running this city when <br />twenty years have passed We had sessions with college students and the Chamber's Youth <br />Leadership Council. A class of fifth graders composed a song for South Bend City Plan and <br />performed it at the Main Library. A class of eighth graders had its own visioning exercise and <br />shared the results with us. <br />Phase I of City Plan is coming to a c;lose. During February we will have six community <br />"Report Back" sessions. The facilitator will. present analysis of data collected during the <br />"listening" sessions. We will be asking the community if we got it right. Is there anything that is <br />A_19 <br />