Councilmembers call for recurring ‘big ideas’ forum to shape city’s long-term vision

Early in the retreat day, several council members asked for scheduled time to discuss long-range “big ideas” and civic visioning, saying residents respond strongly to aspirational projects and that deliberate conversations about the city’s direction should be recurring.

At the opening discussion, a councilmember described recent public interest in “big ideas” and named concepts that have captured attention in the region: bus rapid transit and potential light-rail corridors, a vision to connect downtown to Dix Park, reimagining Capitol Boulevard as a transit‑oriented corridor, activation of Triangle Town Center, and greenways modeled on regional precedents.

Why it matters: Council members said such conversations can offer a long-range frame for staff work and help residents see a shared civic aspiration even where detailed funding plans are not yet in place. Some council members emphasized the need to balance downtown-focused ideas with investments in neighborhoods across the city and to tie big‑idea forums to community engagement events such as a February “big ideas” meetup that staff noted draws partners and public interest.

Next steps: The facilitator suggested carving a specific forum or recurring time for council to review and set long-range vision topics; council members expressed support for a near-term follow-up to the February community “big ideas” meetup to gather public input.

Ending: Councilmembers said they want the city to present a short menu of potential “big idea” topics that could be considered as recurring agenda items or a special council workshop series in coming months.