The Plan

The City published its last comprehensive plan in 1961. Researching the document, the current City Planners found no evidence of public involvement: it appeared to be written by experts for experts.

In 2002, St. Joseph County and the City of South Bend adopted the South Bend and St. Joseph County Comprehensive Plan. This Plan addressed specific residential area policies for South Bend, but it primarily established a broad framework for county-wide resources and development patterns. It did not and could not, under its broad approach, significantly address the specific concerns that face the City of South Bend - where it is right now, where it wants to be in the future, and how it can get there.

The City Plan is a response to that gap. When Mayor Stephen J. Luecke directed work to begin on a new comprehensive plan for South Bend in 2002, he asked the planners to develop an inclusive planning process that could embody the aspirations of the community so that the future direction of the city would come from its residents. He knew that if City Plan were going to serve as a guide for decision making over the next 20 years, it had to have enough community support to transcend any one administration. City Plan is funded by the City and managed by the Division of Community Development of the Department of Community & Economic Development. City staff has developed a three phase process, approximately two years long, to engage the community at every step in developing a blueprint for South Bend’s future.

Some of the trends that are prompting the City of South Bend to look at its future are:
1. The City population has declined from a peak in 1960 of 132,445 to 107,789 in 2000. At the same time, the City has increased in size from 24 to 39 square miles;
2. South Bend’s population is much more diverse than it was in 1961;
3. The type of services, and the cost of providing those services, has increased dramatically;
4. The economy of the City of South Bend is no longer largely dependent on a strong, local manufacturing base and continues to diversify;
5. Many parts of the City of South Bend have no plans, or specific planning history;
6. The needs and desires of our community have changed since 1961's comprehensive plan.

Content
Indiana Code 36-7-4-502 requires comprehensive plans to contain at least the following elements:

1. A statement of objectives for the future development of the jurisdiction;
2. A statement of policy for the land use development of the jurisdiction;
3. A statement of policy for the development of public ways, public places, public lands, public structures, and public utilities.