Strategic Plan

A look forward at the City's goals and plans to achieve them

PROSPERITY AND ECONOMIC SECURITY

The City of Lawrence fosters an environment that provides all people and businesses the opportunity for economic security and intentionally acknowledges, removes, and prevents barriers created by systemic and institutional injustice. Our community succeeds because of collective prosperity and a vibrant, sustainable local economy.

Key Performance Indicators

To realize our Vision for Lawrence, we endeavor to achieve this outcome. As such, the City Commission has identified several Progress Indicators to track progress towards this outcome. The Progress Indicators are listed below.

PES-1: Percent of businesses satisfied or very satisfied with Lawrence as a place to do business

Strategies:

  • Establish Lawrence as the most business friendly community in the region.
  • Make existing businesses a priority, providing robust support for business retention and expansion.
  • Provide resources and support for small and medium-sized businesses to grow and expand.
  • Create programs that recover, sustain and grow the arts and entertainment community.
  • Create new incentives that are targeted at businesses and industries that provide pathways to economic success for the employees, the company and the community.

PES-2: Percent of residents satisfied or very satisfied with Lawrence as a place to work


Strategies:

  • Create programs that recover, sustain and grow the arts and entertainment community.
  • Enhance childcare options at all price levels.
  • Increase and focus resources to generate entrepreneurial and tech-related company growth.
  • Create new incentives that are targeted at businesses and industries that provide pathways to economic success for the employees, the company and the community.

PES-3: Target industry employment growth (target industries: creative and professional services; research and biomedical; computers, electronics and information technology; advanced materials and green manufacturing)

Strategies:

  • Provide resources and support for small and medium-sized businesses to grow and expand.
  • Increase and focus resources to generate entrepreneurial and tech-related company growth.
  • Attract private development partners based on community plan objectives and goals.
  • Create new incentives that are targeted at businesses and industries that provide pathways to economic success for the employees, the company and the community.

PES-4: Average calendar days from application to issuance for development permits for commercial development


Strategies:

  • Establish Lawrence as the most business friendly community in the region.
  • Enhance and streamline permitting processes and development codes.

PES-5: Women business ownership rate


Strategies:

  • Provide resources and support for small and medium-sized businesses to grow and expand.
  • Ensure greater economic opportunities amongst historically marginalized populations, communities and businesses.
  • Create new incentives that are targeted at businesses and industries that provide pathways to economic success for the employees, the company and the community.

PES-5: Minority business ownership rate


Strategies:

  • Provide resources and support for small and medium-sized businesses to grow and expand.
  • Ensure greater economic opportunities amongst historically marginalized populations, communities and businesses.
  • Create new incentives that are targeted at businesses and industries that provide pathways to economic success for the employees, the company and the community.

PES-6: Median Household Income by Race to Total Lawrence Median Income

Strategies:

  • Create programs that recover, sustain and grow the arts and entertainment community.
  • Ensure greater economic opportunities amongst historically marginalized populations, communities and businesses.

PES-7: Area median household income


Strategies:

  • Increase and focus resources to generate entrepreneurial and tech-related company growth.
  • Ensure greater economic opportunities amongst historically marginalized populations, communities and businesses.

PES-8: Five-year rolling average of the total commercial building permit value (2016-2020)


Strategies:

  • Attract private development partners based on community plan objectives and goals.

PES-9: Percent of private dollars leveraged to City dollars


Strategies:

  • Attract private development partners based on community plan objectives and goals.
  • Create new incentives that are targeted at businesses and industries that provide pathways to economic success for the employees, the company and the community.

PES-10: Percent of development that is infill


Strategies:

  • Utilize infill development to enhance the local food system and related businesses.
  • Establish sustainability initiatives for infill development and explore related research and technology partnerships, including smart investments.