Downtown Rockford Strategic Action Plan

Public Engagement for Fast-Tracked Success

Rockford has no shortage of plans. The City has undertaken numerous plans over the last decade that generally agree on goals like direct mixed use downtown, encourage downtown residential development, and enhance mobility. Recognizing that long-term planning processes often result in recommendations that are costly, resource-intensive, and have a time line of 15-20 years, the Strategic Action Plan focuses on implementation through the ‘TLC’ approach. 

A T[actical], L[ean], C[limax] approach proposes shorter-term implementation tactics that ultimately lead to high-investment climax conditions. This approach allows for testing through prototypes, and more immediate results that lead to incremental, but impactful development.

The tactics implemented to date are:

• To increase street vibrancy through outdoor dining and sidewalk sales, the City temporarily waived permit fees and City applications.

• A new event series, Shop the Blocks, was added by the City of Rockford and held 3 times over the summer of 2015.  Elements included temporary parklets in parking spaces, parklets in parking lots, pop-up shops, and outdoor dining and retail sales.

• Master planning for Davis Park, Rockford’s downtown riverfront park.