Simplified: The City of Sioux Falls is nearing its final draft of the Shape Sioux Falls 2050 plan, but there's still time to weigh in on the document that will shape policy decisions over the next 25 years. Here's what you need to know.

Why it matters

  • Shape Sioux Falls 2050 is the city's comprehensive plan – so it's overall a pretty big deal. So big of a deal, in fact, that work started last spring, and it'll still be several months before it's completed.
  • There's been quite a bit of public input so far already on the plan, and City Council on Tuesday got a detailed look at those priorities, which (broad strokes) include housing, transportation, conservation, infrastructure and community resources.
    • The plan also places a special emphasis on regional conversations, and Kevin Smith, assistant director for planning and development services said Sioux Falls is coordinating its long-term plan with Tea, Harrisburg, Brandon, Hartford and Crooks.
  • Councilors specifically noted that the community emphasized city support for childcare and education, as well as continued support for folks experiencing homelessness.
"If we hope to avoid building ever more very expensive prisons, we should probably think very, very carefully and very intentionally about how we can provide more support for education and childcare in our community," councilor David Barranco said, referencing recent statewide conversations about a new $650 million men's prison in Sioux Falls.

Tell me more about community's priorities

Consultants from Confluence narrowed several months of public input into six categories, each with different sub-goals.

Here's a quick run-down of the major themes:

  1. Housing and neighborhoods: This includes goals to support housing accessibility at all price points, preserving existing neighborhoods, encouraging neighborhood-friendly retail and invest in long-range planning for neighborhoods.
  2. Transportation and mobility: This includes walkability, bike-ability, public transit, traffic calming and "right-sized" parking requirements.
  3. Conservation and resiliency: This includes preserving natural resources in the city, investing in parks, and making sure public facilities and landscaping are resilient (i.e. able to withstand major weather like flooding).
  4. Economic development: This includes growing opportunities within the business community, encouraging mixed-use development, supporting in-fill development and redevelopment, and promoting biotech and healthcare industries.
  5. Community resources: This is where the more intangible and quality-of-life aspects of city support come into play with things like services supporting unhoused people, support for childcare, more indoor recreation and support for the arts.
  6. Infrastructure and public spaces: Community feedback shows that folks want the city to evaluate design standards, prioritize maintenance of existing city infrastructure, continue utility planning and encourage open spaces within neighborhoods.

What happens next?

Consultants will take this draft plan back to the community for more input and feedback before putting the full Shape Sioux Falls 2050 plan together by the end of the year.

There will be more opportunities to share your thoughts both online and in-person – though the specifics haven't yet been ironed out.