MAPPING the Future of Your Community
The MAPPING program was created in 1991 at the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, located at Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois. With initial support from the Office of the Lt. Governor and the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council, the MAPPING program was designed to provide a strategic visioning and planning process for rural communities to create a long-range vision for the economic development of their community and a plan of action for achieving it. Since 1996, the support for this program has been transferred to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Services Offered
- Visioning & planning sessions for community & economic development
- Follow up technical assistance
Program Benefits
- Builds community support
- Maximizes community strengths
- Overcomes current issues and challenges the community is facing
- Creates a step-by-step plan of projects and strategies for achieving large scope goals
- Promotes positive change within the community
Accomplishments of Past MAPPING Communities Include
- Attracting businesses
- Increasing available housing
- Community beautification
- Revitalizing community spirit
- Fostering entrepreneurship
- Expanding recreational opportunities
- Developing tourism
- Improving community infrastructure
MAPPING the Future of Your Community Staff
Gisele Hamm, Program Manager, Gf-hamm@wiu.edu, 309.298.4019
Linda Lee Blaine, Community and Economic Development Outreach Specialist LL-Blaine@wiu.edu, 309.298.2647