Under the leadership of Mayor Steve Luecke, South Bend seeks to meet today's challenges with a vision and strategy for the future.  In every aspect of government and community, we are committed to meeting the needs of residents, investors, and visitors by preserving and protecting our green spaces and natural resources, ensuring the highest level of public safety, strategically fostering economic growth and industry, and maintaining and creating infrastructure using the most effective and efficient technology available.  We are building a Clean, Safe City using Smart Growth techniques and new Technology – South Bend is truly a 21st Century City!

 
We are continually working to improve the appearance of our City, ensure the water quality of our river, and preserve our green spaces (View Moving Forward as a Cool City*).  We are cleaning up and redeveloping former brownfields (industrial sites) for new growth inside our City.  Programs like Adopt-A-Block, Downspout Disconnect, Good Neighbors Good Neighborhoods, and the new Trash Container Program help South Bend partner with residents to keep South Bend neighborhoods clean and beautiful.  The Clean River Healthy Neighborhoods program is essential to update our sewer and wastewater treatment systems and further expand the quality and use of the St. Joseph River.  Our award-winning Wildflower Retention Basin program helps to beautify our green spaces and conserve natural, strategic, and financial resources.  Redevelopment projects in the Studebaker/Oliver corridor and other areas around the City are helping to reclaim the industrial and manufacturing sites of South Bend's past and turn them into clean, safe, and attractive areas for economic development.  We are reserving our green spaces for recreation and the environment.  We continue to identify and implement best practices, new technology, broad vision, and practical efforts toward these ends. 

Public Safety remains our top priority.  We are committed to the safety of our officers and our residents, and are forming new alliances with the community and developing innovative strategies in order to keep South Bend safe for residents and visitors.  Through programs like NEST, School Resource Officers, Weed & Seed, CeaseFire, (links) and others, our public safety officers seek to build positive relationships with the residents they serve and protect.  With new state-of-the-art Police and Fire Headquarters, we are utilizing new technologies and tactics to effectively and efficiently combat crime and increase safety in our neighborhoods.  However, public safety is not just the responsibility of Police and Fire – it is a joint effort between all City departments, including Public Works, Building, Code Enforcement, and Community and Economic Development.  Issues such as Animal Control, building and housing codes, well-maintained roads and walkways, and clean, safe public spaces all play an essential role in building a Safe City.

 In order to build a competitive and livable 21st Century City, we must develop a strategic game plan, rebuilding our older urban core while pursuing rational and orderly growth at our City's edge.  A key component of this strategy is City Plan.  Introduced by Mayor Luecke in the late 1990's, City Plan is the first city-wide planning process undertaken in a generation, combining the vision of South Bend's residents with the tools of government.  Our Smart Growth strategies, as voiced by our community, include partnering with residents to strengthen neighborhoods and the Downtown, provide essential services, maximize the use of and expand existing infrastructure, maintain and expand green space, and provide opportunity for growth in reclaimed brownfield areas and City edges.  Smart Growth doesn't just happen – it is planned and orderly development that will keep South Bend strong, vibrant and sustainable.

South Bend is committed to leading in the use of technology to improve infrastructure and delivery of services, encourage economic growth, and increase the quality of life for our residents.  Our new website, the Automated Trash Container Program, LED traffic signal project, new state-of-the-art Police and Fire Headquarters, are all examples of ways that technology directly improves the quality of services we deliver.  The development of new technology infrastructure is vital to securing South Bend's economic future.  The St. Joseph Valley Metronet will allow local businesses and organizations to connect with institutions across the country and around the world.  As the world economy continues to adapt to changing technology, the efficient transportation of ideas and information will be critical to our economic health.  We are also promoting the creation of a Certified Technology Park in the Notre Dame area, to attract high-tech and research companies that can enrich the local economy and help keep talented young people in the community.  Technology has a fun side as well!  Laptop computer users now have wireless Internet access in the open air of downtown South Bend, through the Downtown Wireless Program and Michiana Freenet.  We will continue to use advances in technology to improve our community.  If we want good jobs for our children, if we want local business to thrive, if we truly want to be a 21st Century City, we must not sit back and wait.  We must lead, not follow. 

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Office of the Mayor
227 West Jefferson Blvd. • Suite 1400 N
South Bend, Indiana 46601
574.235.9261