Forest Grove, Oregon: Community Visioning
Downtown Forest Grove, photo courtesy of Explore Tualatin Valley
In spring 2024, the City of Forest Grove embarked on their first-ever comprehensive community visioning process to guide strategic planning through 2040.
With an anticipated 45% population growth and jobs nearly doubling by 2035, Forest Grove needed a roadmap that would preserve their small-town character while embracing thoughtful development. Together, we created "Forest Grove Forward"—a community-driven vision plan rooted in sustainability, safety, and connectivity.
SERVICES: Community Visioning, Engagement, Graphic Facilitation, Council Retreat Facilitation, Implementation Framework
TIMELINE: April 2024 – July 2025
Forest Grove Forward logos created in partnership with the SSW team
Spanish-language outreach
Engagement pillar at Forest Grove ‘s Adelante Farmer’s Market
Equity-Driven Engagement
We gathered input from more than 2,300 community members through surveys, interviews, community events, and creative low-cost engagement methods. Partnering with Adelante Mujeres and Veritas Collaborations, we conducted comprehensive bilingual engagement and visited apartment complexes, senior facilities, and farmers' markets with innovative tools like our "engagement pillar"—stacked cardboard boxes wrapped in paper where community members could write their vision for Forest Grove.
Whenever we identified demographic gaps or barriers to participation, we doubled down—adding Spanish intercept surveys, hosting dedicated Latino outreach events, and expanding methods until all voices were included.
Vision Labs for Action-Oriented Planning
Five Vision Labs focused on specific goal areas brought together 120+ community members and partners across multiple sessions. Rather than traditional town halls, these labs developed concrete actions and partnerships, transforming community input into implementable strategies guided by Council priorities and participant expertise.
A Forest Grove vision lab
“This plan isn't just a document—it's the result of our community coming together over 15 months to imagine what we want Forest Grove to become by 2040.”
– Forest Grove Mayor Malynda Wenzl
Forest Grove’s Adelante Farmer’s market, photo courtesy of Explore Tualatin Valley
Results + Implementation
Forest Grove Forward established four goal areas with 37 specific actions, each tied to measurable outcomes. The plan creates an annual cycle of priority setting, departmental alignment, and community engagement, with five-year comprehensive updates.
The process underscored Forest Grove's civic culture, balancing rural tranquility with urban innovation. The plan provides clear direction for housing, economic development, infrastructure, and community connection—all grounded in being "rooted in connection, growing with purpose."
The City Council unanimously approved and adopted the plan in summer 2025, moving immediately to implementation with dedicated staff alignment and budget integration that ensures the community's vision drives real change.
