City Wide Comprehensive Plan

The Joliet Comprehensive Plan is designed to guide investment and decision-making as Joliet grows and evolves.  The Comprehensive Plan outlines strategies and actions to help achieve the community’s vision for the future and provides a roadmap for maintaining and enhancing Joliet's quality of life.

The plan addresses issues that are critical to Joliet's future, including:

• Neighborhoods and housing stability
• Economic development and local investment
• Community connection and belonging
• Land use and future development
• Mobility and access
• Environment and natural resources
• Utilities and infrastructure

Community Workshop #3 – Final Workshop

The Community Workshop # 3 took place Thursday, October 29^th from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm at the Joliet West High School Cafeteria and virtually from Friday October 30^th through Friday November 20th.

At this in-person and virtual workshop, residents provided feedback on the draft recommendations, reviewed the vision for different areas of Joliet, and identified the actions they believe will have the greatest impact on the city’s future.

To participate virtually in this workshop, take the survey: Draft Joliet Comprehensive Plan Survey

Community Workshop #2

The Community Workshop # 2 took place Thursday, February 26, 2026 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Joliet Public Library - Ottawa Street Branch and virtually from Friday February 27^th to Friday March 20^th.

This workshop focused on understanding community desires across four distinct character areas in the city, each with unique physical, cultural, and functional qualities. By identifying where different development patterns exist and where new opportunities can emerge, Joliet can manage growth that respects existing communities while preparing for the future. The four character areas were selected because they 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.

Attendees also:

• Learned whet we heard from the community and how that feedback developed into seven community priorities.
• Saw the vision and goals for each of the plan's six topic areas

Topic Area Workshops

Topic Area Workshops were held at Joliet City Hall and focused on the following topics:

Community Survey

Input from people who live and work in Joliet will help the team understand where Joliet is today, what's important, and how best to guide development over the next ten years.

The Community Survey ran from July 14th through September 19th , 2025 and is now closed. The Survey was available online in English, Spanish, Polish, Arabic and traditional Chinese and paper form in English and Spanish. A summary of the survey results can be found in the Engagement Summary under Reports & Findings on this page.

Community Workshop #1

The Community Workshop # 1 took place Wednesday September 17th, 2025 from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm at the Joliet West High School Cafeteria. A summary of the input gathered from this Community Workshop can be found in the Engagement Summary under Reports & Findings on this page.

Comment

Check back often for project updates and opportunities to provide feedback. In the meantime, submit your comments here: comprehensiveplan@joliet.gov

Economics of Community Development

The City partnered with consulting firm Urban3 to better understand how growth, development, infrastructure, and city finances work together to shape Joliet's future. Joe Minicozzi, founder and principal of Urban3, shared these findings with the Joliet community on Wednesday June 17th at two engaging presentations. The first was a lunch & learn that was co-sponsored by the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce at Harrah’s Casino and the second was an evening presentation held at Bicentennial Park Theater. Urban3’s work explains how housing, businesses, roads, and community design all play a role in building a stronger and more successful city.

To watch the presentation: JCTV - Economics of Community Design Video

To view presentation slides: Urban3 Economics of Community Design(PDF, 128MB)

To view the final report (horizontal layout): Urban3 Report(PDF, 65MB)

To view the final report (vertical layout): Urban3 Report(PDF, 8MB)

View the Executive Summary of the Urban3 Economics of Community Design(PDF, 2MB)  

The Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) provides guidance on the overall planning direction of the Joliet Comprehensive Plan, champions the planning effort, shares information with their respective social and professional networks, and offers feedback on specific project milestones and deliverables.

The Advisory Committee meets the first Wednesday of the month at 10:00 am in the 2nd floor Council Chambers of City Hall. Meeting agendas are posted a minimum of 48 hours in advance of the meeting and can be found at https://joliet.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx.

Below is a list of the Advisory Committee members:

• Mayor Terry D'Arcy
• Councilman Cesar Cardenas
• Elaine Bottomley
• Warren Dorris
• Nora Gruenberg
• Jen Howard
• Wendell Martin
• Hugh O'Hara
• Christopher Parker
• Doug Pryor
• Steve Randich
• Juan Rico
• Jim Roolf
• Dr. Theresa Rouse
• Diana Viveros
• Boise Walker
• Damon Zdunich