photo by: Rochelle Valverde/Journal-World

Lawrence City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St., is pictured on Jan. 31, 2023.

Lawrence city leaders will soon receive a progress update on the city’s strategic plan goal related to arts, culture and the inclusivity of the city.

As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will receive a strategic plan update from staff members overseeing the city’s “Unmistakable Identity” goal, which deals with arts, culture and other aspects of the city’s identity.

The strategic plan was adopted in 2020 and focuses on outcomes related to five areas: arts and culture, strong and welcoming neighborhoods, safety and security, prosperity and economic security, and functional and efficient infrastructure. More specifically, the outcome related to the Unmistakable Identity goal is as follows: “Lawrence is a welcoming community, synonymous with arts, diverse culture, fun, and a quintessential downtown. City parks and community events contribute to the vibrancy experienced by all people in Lawrence.”

Each outcome area has specific indicators that the city uses to measure its progress on the goal. As part of Tuesday’s presentation, staff will share information regarding three of the 14 progress indicators related to the Unmistakable Identity goal: the percentage of residents who have attended an event in the past year; the percentage of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) residents rating the community as welcoming; and the percentage of residents who believe their culture is celebrated in the community (i.e. festivals, parades, events, etc.). Presentation materials state that data is in development for the first two indicators and that the third indicator is at 40.7%, with the goal being 60%.

The Lawrence City Commission will convene at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St.