Strategic Planning
City Manager
Phone
(231) 922-4440
Project Timeline
Start: Fall 2024
Anticipated Completion:
Spring 2025
The City of Traverse City is embarking on a community driven Strategic Action Plan, looking out to 2030, designed to build on the City’s current success and chart a sustainable course for the future. This community-driven initiative will run from October 2024 through May 2025, with the goal of producing a robust, comprehensive and sustainable Strategic Action Plan that will guide City programs and investments over the coming years.
The Strategic Action Planning process will be inclusive, transparent, and forward-looking, with extensive research and community engagement that focuses on the community of Traverse City. This research and engagement will identify the current and future needs, as well as exploring the potential future of the City, looking out to 2030.
2025 Community Engagement
A total of nine Community Engagement sessions were held between January and February 2025. Additionally, a community survey was conducted with nearly 1,200 verified participants.
Fall 2024 Community Engagement Report
A Think Tank Report has been completed and summarizes the findings of a Think-Tank workshop and Community Visioning sessions that were part of Traverse City's Strategic Action Plan process thus far. It outlines each key step in the planning, beginning with background exploration and analysis. The process involved "future gazing," where stakeholders considered various possible directions for the city's future and assessed their potential impacts and consequences. From this, participants identified an optimal or preferred future, providing a foundation for determining actionable steps to achieve that vision. The report serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding community priorities and will inform the strategic pathways to meet them.
Heatmap Survey Data Visualization Platform
Key Elements of the Strategic Action Planning Process
The planning process will involve extensive research, data collection, and community engagement, with a special focus on identifying both current and future needs. As part of the initiative, the City will prioritize collaboration with residents and community collaborators to define its long-term vision.
The Strategic Action Plan process will focus on community engagement through the following activities:
• Communication strategies to inform the community
• Community Partner Interviews
• Traverse City Future Think-Tank Workshop and Report
• Community Surveys
• Strategic Pillar stakeholder Roundtable Session
• Focus Groups with specified community groups to build out the Strategic Pillars
• Production of the Community Dashboard/Balanced Scorecard
• Production of the final Traverse City Strategic Action Plan
The City of Traverse City has contracted with Future iQ to facilitate the development of the plan.
Timeline and Next Steps
The planning process will take place over eight months, beginning in October 2024 and concluding in May 2025 with the finalization of the Traverse City Strategic Action Plan. Key milestones will include the release of a Situational Assessment Report and a Traverse City Think-Tank Report that will inform the final plan.
Strategic Planning Proposal