How will you commit your time, energy, funds, enthusiasm, skills, and ideas to achieve the Seizing Our Destiny Agenda? What will you contribute to stretch minds, brighten hearts, propel action, draw investment, inspire growth and impact generations to come?
We will boldly take these action steps and welcome you to join us!
My Fellow Community Members,
In the spring of 2009, I charged a group of community leaders to develop a bold and ambitious economic strategic vision for our community. They undertook the task with zeal and thoughtfully engaged a diverse group of community stakeholders to learn what options held the greatest promise for the City.
I believe this vision is so powerful because it is larger than any one individual or institution. It is therefore capable of transcending traditional political alliances, enduring through changes in elected officials, and unifying people of all walks of life through engagement in our community. It is a vision that at its roots depends on partnerships across economic sectors, across industries and concerns, and across personal interests in the pursuit of something greater for our City.
I also believe this vision is compelling because it rests on the understanding that Riverside is poised for greatness. For many years, we have reinvigorated our institutions, renewed our infrastructure and recaptured the excitement of our people. Now we are ready to take the next steps toward our shared future.
Thank you to the many people who contributed so much of their time, energy and excitement to this project. Thanks go particularly to the Steering Committee, who devoted countless hours in meetings, attending visioning sessions and focus groups and reading and editing numerous drafts of the report and related documents. Thank you for your guidance up to this point, and into the future.
I encourage Riversiders who feel passionate about our City to become engaged in implementing this vision. There will be many opportunities for you to bring your energy and talent to help us realize the promise that Seizing Our Destiny holds.
I look forward to the future, and to seeing what we achieve!
Thank you,
Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge
City of Riverside
Next Steps to Our Destiny
- Accelerate Momentum
It is necessary to make the process that developed Seizing Our Destiny permanent and build upon it. The followings steps assist this process:
- Oversight and accountability is provided by the Council of Economic and Workforce Advisors (CEWA), a cross-sector group of civic leaders and elected officials;
- A Steering Committee oversees the implementation of Seizing Our Destiny by prioritizing initiatives, identifying early wins, creating action plans and establishing benchmarks and milestones. The members of the Steering Committee are diverse, passionate and knowledgeable about the plan and include representatives from business, City government, and community and faith-based groups;
- Both existing assets and needed resources are identified;
- Existing public and private sector commissions, committees and task forces incorporate Seizing Our Destiny Agenda in their proceedings and decision-making; and
- The staffing necessary to support, inform and help direct ongoing implementation of the vision is identified.
- Reach Farther
The City continues to invest in the future by improving existing programs and jump-starting initiatives within Seizing Our Destiny, such as these:
- Completing Renaissance Riverside;
- Fully implementing the Green Riverside Action Plan;
- Expanding and extending the impact of SmartRiverside and high technology initiatives;
- Ensuring the Medical School at UCR is completed and designed to attract related businesses;
- Developing a master plan for the Greenbelt; and
- Preserving and rehabilitating the historic core of the City.
- Choose Wisely
Riverside continues to analyze a future that benefits all by:
- Conducting competitive analyses for each of Riverside’s desired industries to pinpoint the City’s unique competitive edge;
- Determining Riverside’s niche within each industry, based on existing infrastructure, workforce and other assets;
- Analyzing the ways to maximize the positive benefits of the Medical School at UCR;
- Similarly, taking advantage of the re-opening of the Fox Theater by energizing the current Arts & Cultural District;
- Utilizing strategic criteria to establish accountability mechanisms by which all City and private sector economic development decisions will be measured;
- Strategizing for funding and financial support of Seizing Our Destiny to achieve the benchmarks and milestones identified; and
- Making City budget requests based on long-term financial analysis.
- Involve Everyone
The City is committed to building connections to increase critical mass by:
- Broadly communicating the vision to the community and inviting participation as implementation steps are established;
- Creating opportunities for engagement and continuing to grow as part of the implementation of Seizing our Destiny;
- Reaching out to diverse communities, organizations, and people across the City and bringing them into the process to promote unity, collaboration and foster cross- industry cooperation; and
- Coordinating the business and economic developments of public and private stakeholders, to ensure that the private sector has a visible and influential role in shaping land-use policy and devising business incentives.
