Community Visioning

Our Shared Vision of the Future

You shared your perspectives, and together we've brought a vision of Worthington's future into focus. Listen as your neighbors reflect on what our new vision statements mean to their lives and families.

Vision Statements Wheel (2)

Vision Statements and Principles Adopted

Worthington City Council has adopted and approved a series of vision statements and supporting principles that were developed over the past 18 months with input and feedback from thousands of Worthington citizens. The vision statements and guiding principles are aspirational and expected to be used as guides and expressions of values in pursuing and adopting action steps in each area of focus.

City Council Resolution Adopting Vision Statements

In December, the Vision Worthington Committee shared the results of over a year of community input, which resulted in the formation of an overarching vision, seven vision statements, and supporting principles that encapsulate what they heard from the community about what Worthington should look like over the next 10-15 years. The Vision Worthington Committee submitted its final report and supporting documents to Council. City Council subsequently discussed the report and possible next steps at its January 2021 retreat. Information about next steps will be posted here when it is available.

See message from Visioning Committee Chair Joe Sherman

Visioning Process

City Council directed a citizen-led visioning process, which began in 2019 with the goal of engaging and listening to at least 80% of Worthington’s population to develop a wellgrounded articulation of the community’s aspirations for the future of Worthington. To achieve this, Council appointed the 13-member visioning committee that has spent the past several months listening to thousands of city residents, students and members of the Worthington School District, local businesspersons, and community non-profit leaders who have all shared their thoughts and perspectives on what they value most about Worthington.

Pandemic conditions caused much of the public engagement to shift to online platforms, but it successfully continued and took many forms including presentations and meetings with a wide variety of active community groups, an online public survey that received over 1,000 responses, eight focus groups with 150 community members from diverse backgrounds, newsletters, postcards, and feedback forms that were mailed to over 6,000 Worthington households, and robust online input through more than 3,000 interactions on the dedicated VisionWorthington.org website.  

The feedback received made it clear that Worthington residents love their community and are attracted to the city for its schools, history, nature, arts, employment, recreation, services, and neighborhoods.  The committee has worked diligently to summarize everything that was heard into seven specific vision statements that are aspirational expressions of the community’s collective imagination of Worthington in the future:

  1. Worthington is a diverse and equitable community
  2. Worthington is dedicated to the vibrancy of its downtown
  3. Worthington is connected
  4. Worthington is a model for environmental stewardship
  5. Worthington offers a high quality of life
  6. Worthington’s economy is balanced and resilient
  7. Worthington’s leadership is open, forward-thinking, and collaborative

About the Community Visioning Committee 

Worthington City Council appointed 13 Worthington residents to serve on the Community Visioning Committee and lead the comprehensive community-wide visioning process. Council received over 50 applications from citizens wishing to serve. See the committee appointments and job duties here.

View Visioning Committee agendas and meeting documents here.
View Most Recent Item  /   List all documents 

Visioning Consultant

City Council selected Poggemeyer Design Group (PDG) as the visioning consultant to work with Committee on this community-wide initiative. City Council received 10 applications and interviewed four finalists in the process. 

Founded in 1968, PDG is a multi-disciplinary firm specializing in municipal planning, economic and community development, grants, engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, and surveying. PDG is an employee owned company with offices in Ohio, Michigan, Georgia and Nevada. Their mission statement reads" "It is our goal to service each client at the highest level, delivering innovative design, technical superiority and outstanding quality." 

The entire Visioning initiative is expected to span several months and include multiple opportunities for input, feedback and engagement of Worthington citizens. 

Poggemeyer Design Group Proposal 

Visioning Background