HEARING SEPT. 15; Input Needed on 20-Year City Plan

On Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, at 6 pm, the Evanston City Council will hold a hearing on the draft comprehensive plan for the City. In January, and again in April, I summarized for the Council about 20 of the major problems with previous drafts. I have reviewed the new draft against those issues, and most of them have not been fixed. I even cross-checked this with AI. You may download my tabulation of this at the bottom of this post; click to download.

This draft plan, while it has some commendable parts and a lot of soothing, aspirational language, is neither ready nor what Evanston deserves, and threatens Central Street planning.

With respect to the key elements of density, growth, and limits on development, which are the main point of a comprehensive land use plan, I don’t believe that it is what Evanston wants, nor that the blanket upzoning it implies will produce what advocates hope for.

You can download the current draft plan text itself (199 pages with no table of contents, sorry, that’s what was released) here.

I urge residents to take a few minutes to educate themselves and to testify in person or by Zoom tomorrow, or to submit written comments to mayor and Council. In particular, Council needs to direct staff to acknowledge and incorporate the Central Street, Downtown, West Side, and Lakefront plans, which were never repudiated by residents and remain guiding documents, and to remove Central Street as a targeted “growth corridor” that needs “revitalization.” the City needs to preserve Central Street's existing character and planning, which residents overwhelmingly value.

Instructions for providing input are here on the City agenda.