The primary goal of Our Village, Our Future is to implement a community visioning process that reaches out to a broad range of Village residents and other stakeholders and encourages them to think about and discuss the values, principles, goals, and priorities that should shape the future of the Village. Here are some of the highlights of the progress so far:
Sought Help to Promote Our Village, Our Future. Contacted more than 30 local organizations (e.g., clubs, civic and religious organizations, etc.) to request help in promoting the visioning process. Provided language and graphics for their e-news and social media channels. (Thanks to the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce, Age-Friendly Ridgewood, Ridgewood Newcomers, Ridgewood Walks, and any others that have helped cross-promote. Please continue to keep your constituencies informed.)
Sign-Ups to “Get Involved.” Fourteen people volunteered to help promote the visioning process to their neighbors and friends in the Village, with several eager to participate in the engagement process in greater depth. We provided online toolkits based on the activities selected. If you are interested in getting involved, visit the Get Involved page!
Launched the Visioning Questionnaire. More than 700 people have completed the Visioning Questionnaire so far. Since the Village’s population is more than 25,000, we are making a push for more exposure and responses. We will be sending a postcard mailer to every household about Our Village, Our Future.
Posted the Map Your Vision tool. The complementary follow-up to the questionnaire is the Web-based Map Your Vision tool, which provides people with an opportunity to pinpoint and describe specific locations in the Village that represent special places, challenges or issues, and/or ideas for the future. So far, more than 70 such locations have been highlighted. Let’s aim for at least 200!
Met with the Central Business District Advisory Committee to discuss past and current challenges, recent and ongoing initiatives, and reaching out to property- and business-owners as part of the visioning process.
Highlights of what’s coming up in the next few weeks:
Environmental Advisory Committee and Green Team meeting to learn about their priorities, plans, and initiatives for a more sustainable Village.
“Downtown Roundtable” discussions with property-owners, business-owners, and realtors to learn about their challenges, ideas, and visions for the future of downtown.
Ridgewood High School student discussion groups to listen to students’ thoughts and opinions about Ridgewood today and their hopes and ideas for the Village in the future.
Discussion Groups run by volunteers who signed up on the Get Involved page are anticipated to take place this winter.
Village of Ridgewood Master Plan 