Strategic Plan

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The City of Wilmington is looking to its future with the adoption of its 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. Approved by City Council in February, the plan sets forth a vision for how the city will create a better place to live for all residents.

With assistance from a consulting firm, city staff worked with community members, stakeholders and city employees over the last two years to develop the plan’s design and content.

Acting as a roadmap to guide the city’s work, the strategic plan focuses on five key focus areas:

  • Housing and Neighborhoods
  • Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Safety
  • Organizational Excellence
  • Economic Development and Cultural Vibrancy

For each of these topics, the plan outlines three objectives and three associated initiatives to drive progress. It also informs department business proposals and annual individual employee work plans.

Collectively, these elements allow the city to be transparent about its goals, intentional in its efforts and accountable for results. The city’s core values of collaboration, creativity, inclusion and accountability are the foundation from which the strategic plan was built.

 

Strategic Plan Highlights

Featuring: the Mayor, City Manager, and Strategic Plan Performance Manager

 

What does this mean for residents?

Outlined in this five-year plan is the need for more quality, affordable housing options and engagement with community members to foster vibrant neighborhoods. The city will also concentrate on attracting new businesses, growing current ones, and enhancing Wilmington’s position as a tourism, entertainment, and cultural destination.

The plan aims to reduce violence, especially among youth, and expand programs that assist people experiencing homelessness or substance abuse issues. It also takes steps to establish an efficient, sustainable multimodal transportation network, geared at reducing congestion, improving roads and sidewalks, and maintaining city infrastructure.

Internally, the city will implement new methods of recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce while developing consistent customer service standards to increase accessibility to its services.

Within the FY24 budget, the strategic plan performance manager position was created and filled by Nicole Smith. She was hired to oversee the plan’s effective execution and track its progress as a living, breathing document. This provides city staff the flexibility to respond to the community’s ever-changing needs as it collaborates with community stakeholders, nonprofits and businesses to bring its vision to reality.