Phase One White River Vision Plan Launches

Phase one of the White River Vision plan launched this week in Indianapolis. The enhancement and improvement plan is spearheaded by the city, and Marion and Hamilton counties.

These first meetings are intended to share research and gather public input -- including popular areas and ideas for improvement.

Agency Landscape and Planning leading consultant Gina Ford says transparency is key, and she shared public input from a local resident at yesterday’s forum.  

“I have this mantra, this meditation that I do when I look at the river. I say that it’s been running long before me, it’ll run long after me. And he said, ‘I go to the river and I quote this bible verse.’ Ya know, and I was thinking to myself, ‘How profoundly wonderful that everyone understands that that’s something that connects all of us,’” Ford says.

Representatives from Visit Indy, Hamilton County and the Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development are leading the three planning phases. The next two will focus on sharing a community vision and planning for action.   Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Director Emily Mack says large collaborative projects have challenges, but she’s optimistic they’ll push through them.

“My concern is under no circumstances do I ever want this to be a plan that sits on a shelf,” she says.  

Planning is slated for completion by this time next year. Phase-one’s final meeting will take place in Indianapolis Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Riverside Park Family Center Auditorium.