Residents, Business Owners and Community Stakeholders Invited to Provide Input and Learn How Public Feedback is Shaping City’s Comprehensive Plan
Joliet – The City of Joliet will host its second Community Workshop on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Joliet Public Library, Ottawa Street Branch (150 N. Ottawa St.). Residents, business owners and community stakeholders are encouraged to participate to help shape the City’s first Comprehensive Plan in more than 60 years. The Comprehensive Plan will guide how the city responds to the current needs of residents, adapts to the future and plans for inclusive growth, sustainable development and equitable prosperity over the next 10 years. At the workshop, attendees will learn what the City has heard so far and how that input hasinformed the Comprehensive Plan, as well as provide input on what they would like to see in four distinct areas of Joliet. Information related to the plan’s goals and objectives will also be highlighted: Housing & Neighborhoods, Economic Development, Transportation & Mobility, Infrastructure & Utilities, Open Space & Environment, Arts Heritage & Culture, and Land Use & Future Development.
Participants will take part in a hands-on mapping exercise focused on four-character areas in Joliet: the Joliet Mall, the Ridge Road corridor between Caton Farm Road and Black Road, the east side neighborhood at Cass Street and Henderson Avenue, and the south side neighborhood at Chicago Street and McDonough Street. These four areas represent a range of characteristics, from commercial to residential to industrial. The ideas generated from this Workshop for the four areas can be applied across the city where similar development patterns exist.
“The second Community Workshop is an opportunity for residents to see how their feedback is being used and to shape the next step in the planning process,” said Joliet Planning Director Jayne Bernhard.
“Specifically, we will be inviting participants to apply concepts that have emerged through the planning process in four geographic areas of the city.“This Comprehensive Plan is about listening to our residents and building a clear roadmap for Joliet’s future,” said Mayor Terry D’Arcy. “We’ve received thoughtful feedback from across the community, and this next Community Workshop event is an opportunity to show how that input is shaping real goals and priorities. It’s important we hear from as many people as possible to help us guide the direction of our city, so if you haven’t yet made your voice heard at one of these workshops, I encourage you to attend.”
Over the past several months, community members have shared their ideas, concerns and hopes for Joliet’s future in a previous Community Workshop and in a series of Topic Area Workshops. That feedback has served as the basis for the City of Joliet’s Vision, Goals and Objectives report, which reflects the values and themes most consistently heard, translating community input into a clear framework to guide future decisions. This comprehensive report can be found here.
For more information on the City of Joliet’s Comprehensive Plan, including links to register for each workshop and ongoing opportunities for public input, visit joliet.gov/comprehensive plan or email comprehensiveplan@joliet.gov.
