This article explores the components of excellent vision statements from around the world. Estimated reading time: 8-10 minutes

The article is from (with edits) the Best Practices Improvement Resource (BPIR) website. BPIR is built around a primary goal: Don’t reinvent the wheel. Based in New Zealand, their aim is to assist people and organizations in learning about “best practices” from around the world. This includes processes and results that have been judged to be exemplary and shown to be superior through experience.

Is this useful to us here in Arcata?

Yes, as a confirmation of what we are already working on — what’s already included in Arcata’s draft Vision Statement.

And if there is some element from this article that provides a stimulus for a City Council member, a Planning Commissioner, a member of the City’s staff, or a contributing member of the public to enhance Arcata’s Vision Statement — and in turn provide advancement to the current and future prospects of our wonderful city….

Well, then, it would be worth the time to read through this, right?

The full article will take only 8-10 minutes to read. Highlights have been added so you can skim.

Vision Statements of award-winning cities from around the world

How will your city look 20 or 50 years from now? Will our cities look like those as portrayed in a sci-fi movie? For us earthlings, it would be worthwhile understanding the planning processes of competent and futuristic cities. The vision and mission statements lay down the foundation for the city’s collective growth towards the future and project how the officials intend to design exceptional communities. They reflect where the city is heading and capture the spirit of the organization. 

A vision statement presents the city council’s ambition for the future. The vision statement sets the bar high in terms of how the city wants to be perceived by the world in the future.

A good vision statement is a self-fulfilling prophecy. When everyone shares the vision, employees will adapt the behaviors required to make the vision a reality. A vision statement’s purpose is to inspire and instill passion in employees and the wider community to achieve the common vision.
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Characteristics of the Vision Statement

• The vision should have a personality of its own. It should define the peculiar facets of the city’s long-term success and what sets it apart from the rest of the world. 
• Vision statements must be unambiguous and bring clarity to the employees, citizens, and community.
• The values and belief systems of the city should be reflected in the statements.
• The statements should be challenging and motivating at the same time.
• The vision, mission, goals, and strategic objectives should be aligned and should be achievable.

Seven common themes in the Vision Statements of the featured cities

1. People First
2. Inclusion, Diversity, and Equality
3. Health and Well Being of the Community
4. Strategic Foresight and Future Shaping
5. Green Economy – Sustainability and Climate Change
6. Innovative, Smart, and Digital Cities
7. Prosperous Economy and International Recognition

1. People First

The cities featured in this article have put people at the heart of their city’s vision with citizen-focused strategic planning efforts centered around the lifestyle and standard of living of their citizens. The vision statements instill confidence and belief in the local government and city council, exude a sense of pride, ownership, and trust within the citizens. Emphasis is on education, hopes for a vibrant society, and community engagement.

For example, the planning process of the City of Germantown, Tennessee (population 40,000), the 2019 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient, began with the appointment of a 30-member steering committee. These citizens led the development of the Germantown Forward 2030 vision statement.

Wellington, New Zealand was ranked No. 3 “Happiest city in the world – Current Life Evaluation” (World Happiness Report 2020). Its very first mission is to be a people-centered city that is healthy, vibrant, affordable and resilient, with a strong sense of identity and place. Auckland, New Zealand, ranked at No. 1 as the Most Livable City in the World according to the Global Livability Index 2021, aspires to become a place that Aucklanders love and are proud of, a place they want to stay in or return to, and a place that others want to visit, move to or invest in, as per their Auckland Plan 2050.

Respect for heritage and protection of local culture are among the top priorities for many cities. Auckland too, in its mission for the Auckland Plan 2050 has emphasized preserving the Māori identity and well-being, the environment, and cultural heritage, among the other plans.

Amsterdam’s 2019 implementation agenda embraced its mission to ensure equality of opportunity, an open and tolerant city with nice neighborhoods and livable city, freedom and security, a healthy and sustainable city, and being participative and digital. It was one of the first cities in Europe to launch a smart city program back in 2009. Toronto, Canada, bustling with a population of over six million people, has a vision of a caring and friendly, clean, green and sustainable city that is dynamic and invests in quality of life.

Tarsus Municipality, Turkey, was the prize winner in “Leading with Vision, Inspiration & Integrity” at the EFQM Global Excellence Award 2018. Tarsus aspires to be a healthy city, recognized at a global level, attaches importance to science and art, is sensitive to people and the environment, has developed local economy, provided urban aesthetics, is unhindered, produces, educates, and protects its culture and history.

One of the peculiarities the mission of Lahti, Finland, for 2022 is for “Change in Communality 2022” where Lahti is a child-friendly city of well-being. The vision of Lower Hutt, New Zealand, is “to make Lower Hutt a great place to live, work and play. That is, a city where our people are proud to live, where working and investing here is a smart choice, and where there’s always something for our families to explore.”

2. Inclusion, Diversity, and Equality

Some municipalities and city councils have incorporated the fundamental norms of human rights into their vision and mission statements for social integration and diverse, inclusive communities.

Geneva, Switzerland, stands at Rank 8 in the list of the 10 Most Livable Cities in the World. To support its vision of “Geneva – inclusive, creative, ecological and showing solidarity.” it has a strong mission for human rights, social justice, ecological transition, culture, security, supporting the local economy and international Geneva, and actions for its human, financial and digital perspectives. In the United Kingdom, Bristol’s Global City Vision has laid down one of its missions to be fair and inclusive by improving economic and social equality, pursuing economic growth which includes everyone, and making sure people have access to good quality learning, decent jobs and homes they can afford.

Part of the vision of San José, California, is to be an inclusive city and ensure all residents, businesses, and organizations can participate in and benefit from the prosperity and culture of innovation in Silicon Valley. Two of the strategic objectives of Melbourne, Australia, are to ensure everyone feels safe and included as they participate in city life, and reduce inequality by providing access to housing, core services and information. Tokyo, Japan, has a strategy for a diverse city where it will create a Tokyo full of kindness and warmth where everyone can lead vibrant lives and be active in society.

Perth, Australia has an integrated vision of a vibrant, connected, progressive city, a friendly and beautiful place to be. One of the objectives of the city council is to make it livable by ensuring a community that is safe, socially cohesive, inclusive and activated. Similarly, the City of Melville, Australia, holds the vision of “Engaging with our diverse community to achieve an inclusive, vibrant and sustainable future.”

3. Health and Well Being of the Community

Progressive municipalities across the globe are focusing more on health development by mobilization and allocation of maximum available resources to ensure equitable health for all, and create a healthier and happier society at large.

One of Bristol’s (United Kingdom) missions is the wellbeing of its citizens for which it wants to create healthier and more resilient communities where life expectancy is not determined by wealth or background. This belief reflects in the vision statements of many municipalities, such as Tokyo (Japan) which was ranked at No. 4 in the 10 Most Liveable Cities in the World (2021). Tokyo’s vision “Beyond 2020 — Toward Tokyoʼs Future”, envisages a future vision for healthcare, welfare, and education, among its other priorities. It has a strategic mission to have a Safe City by protecting the lives and assets of the Tokyo residents from all kinds of disasters and building a dynamic and bustling Tokyo.

Similarly, inhabiting a population of 8,804,190 (2020), one of New York City’s (USA) visions is that ‘Health care is a right for every New Yorker in 2050’. New York plans to achieve this vision by guaranteeing health care and ending the opioid epidemic. Here, the phrase ‘health care is a right for every New Yorker in 2050’ denotes that New Yorkers will be healthy because quality health care will be guaranteed, and their holistic approach means healthy lifestyles — good nutrition, clean air, nearby parks — available to everyone regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or disability. New mothers, seniors, children with asthma, people struggling with substance misuse or mental illness — all will have access to care and treatment across the five boroughs. New Yorkers will interact regularly with their natural environment through an extensive network of trails and waterfront greenways.

4. Strategic Foresight and Future Shaping

Successful governments plan for the future. Not just the future which is one year or two years from now. Not even five years. They plan for the next generation and the generations after them. In 2019 the Mayor of New York City laid down the vision and strategies for “One New York City 2050: Building a Strong and Fair City” to secure the city’s future against the challenges of today and tomorrow. Optimizing its strengths, New York secured 1st Rank in both the 2019 and 2020 Global Cities Index.

The small city of Germantown, Tennessee, with a population of 41,000, shares the “Forward 2030 Vision” where ‘Germantown is a vibrant, modern community, the community of choice, offering outstanding quality of life for all generations. The government is fiscally sound and provides top-quality public safety and services responsive to community requirements. Engaged residents honor the past, treasure the present and responsibly shape Germantown’s future.

Richmond, Canada, has a mission to protect and enhance the City’s livability and economic well-being for current and future generations through visionary leadership and responsible decision making, accountable and sustainable fiscal practice, the development of a unique and beautiful city, product and service excellence and efficiency, and community consultation.

Brisbane, Australia, the 10th most livable city in the world (2021 Index), under its Brisbane Vision 2031 has a mission to “enable a thriving and sustainable city, for our current and future residents, businesses, and visitors. We proudly and passionately serve the communities in which we live by listening to them and understanding their needs. We want them to love and contribute to Brisbane, just as we do.“

5. Green Economy – Sustainability and Climate Change

Future cities are focusing on the decarbonization of their assets with a sense of accountability. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda established by the United Nations in 2015 include: Affordable and Clean Energy; Sustainable Cities and Communities; Climate Action.

Ecological balance is on the agenda of many award-winning urban cities and even megacities. This signifies that systematic system-driven environmental care is an attainable reality if the right decisions are taken at the right time under the pledge to commit to sustainable living and improve the lives of their citizens and communities.

The 10 Most Livable Cities in the World (according to the Global Livability Index 2021 by the Economist Intelligence Unit) have all incorporated the Sustainable Development Goals into their vision statements. 

6. Innovative, Smart, and Digital Cities

Sustainability with radical innovation is at the core of smart cities. San José, California, the capital of Silicon Valley, holds a Smart City Vision by leveraging technology to make San José the safest big city in America, and a user-friendly city by creating digital platforms to improve transparency, empower residents to actively engage in the governance of their city, and make the city more responsive to the complex and growing demands of its community. 

7. Prosperous Economy and International Recognition

The contribution of cities to their local and national economic growth has become evident with the rise in urbanization. City councils and municipalities are directed towards maximization of their economic potential, innovation, and resilient financial management to secure for themselves an influential place in the regional and global scheme of events. Seven out of ten cities from the 10 Most Liveable Cities in the World in 2021 have elements of economic planning in their vision statements. Striking a healthy balance between the parameters for social and economic prosperity is the underlying agenda for many urban cities and megacities.

Conclusion

The vision and mission statements of municipalities and city councils are built around the city’s assets and acknowledge challenges whilst proposing solutions for the future. They help to communicate what needs to be done so that the interests and strategies of  employees, citizens, and the wider community can be aligned.

A city’s vision and mission statement can drive amazing achievements if constructed and implemented after thorough research on local and regional needs and global trends, keeping its citizens at the core. These statements should be the most important reference checks to not only periodically review the strategic action plans but to keep the employees and the leadership motivated. And, if needed, the city should be ready to realign itself to the vision and mission with the same conviction with which the two were created.

Original article written by Dr. Almas Tazein, BPIR.com. Posted November 22, 2021.

A database of 30 cities from around the world is available in Excel spreadsheet format. The downloadable document contains a short detailed vision statement, mission statement/strategic highlights of the following cities, the city’s population, its awards and recognition, and the city’s website.

Included are small cities with a population of around 50,000 to megacities with a population of over ten million.

These cities have earned distinction as the present and past winners of international business excellence awards and cities indexes. These include winners of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Global Excellence Award, and the 10 Most Livable Cities in the World according to the Global Livability Index 2021 by The Economist Intelligence Unit.