The long-range plan to 2050 for Lake, LaPorte, and Porter Counties was adopted by the NIRPC Executive Board at the May 16, 2019 meeting. NWI 2050 builds on the successes of the award-winning 2040 Plan which was the first comprehensive regional plan for our three-county region. NWI 2050 takes a bold approach by planning at the center of the linkages between transportation, the environment, land use, and economic development.
NWI 2050 utilizes updated scenario planning methods that allow our regional leaders to contend with the uncertainty the future has in store. The scenario planning process considers different possible futures that Northwestern Indiana may experience over the next thirty years. By imagining different futures, we avoid the mistake of “picking a future” we hope to have, and possibly watching an unimagined future come to pass with the wrong suite of strategies and investments to address it. Instead, by considering multiple future scenarios, our region can try and identify investments and strategies that will have a positive impact in any of the scenarios.
NWI 2050 Amendments
NWI 2050development documents
The development of NWI 2050 consisted of significant effort, study, research, and input. Below you can find materials used in the development of NWI 2050.
NWI 2050 Public Engagement
- Engagement Results
- April '18 Engagement - Plan Vision
- April 30th
5:00 pm | Crown Point Community Library 122, N Main St, Crown Point - May 1st
4:30 pm | Michigan City Public Library | Main Meeting Room 100 E 4th St, Michigan City Take transit: Michigan City Transit Routes: 1, 2, 3, or 4 - May 2nd
1:30 pm | Merrillville Municipal Complex | 7820 Broadway, Merrillville
Take transit: Gary Public Transit Corporation Route: RBMX or
South Lake County Community Services: call 219-663-3869 to request a ride three days in advance - May 3rd
4:00 pm | Purdue Northwest – Westville LSF Building Room 144 | 1401 US-421 Westville
Take transit: Transit Triangle Routes: 1 or 2 - May 7th
5:00 pm | East Chicago Public Library | 2401 E Columbus Dr, East Chicago
Take transit: East Chicago Transit Routes: 1, 2 or 3 - May 8th
6:00 pm | Methodist Southlake Hospital | 8701 Broadway, Merrillville
Take transit: Gary Public Transit Corporation Route: RBMX - May 9th
6:00 pm | State Street Community Church | 209 State St, La Porte
Take transit: Transporte: call 219-362-6565 to request a ride one day in advance - May 10th
6:00 pm | Valparaiso Public Library Meeting Room A | 103 Jefferson St, Valparaiso
Take transit: V-Line Routes: Green, Yellow, and Red - May 15th
5:00pm | Chesterton Town Hall | 726 Broadway, Chesterton
Take transit: Porter County Aging and Community Services: call 219-462-4302 to request a ride three days in advance - May 17th
5:30pm | Steel City Academy Cafeteria | 2650 West 35th Ave, Gary
Take transit: Gary Public Transit Corporation Route: L4 - May 21st
4:00pm | Gary-Metro Center | 100 W. 4th Ave, Gary
Take transit: Gary Public Transit Corporation Routes: BMX and most GPTC routes
South Shore Line Route: South Shore Line - May 22nd
3:00pm | Hammond Academy of Science and Technology Engineering Room | 33 Muenich Ct, Hammond
Take Transit: Gary Public Transit Corporation Routes: R1 and R4
North Township Dial-a-Ride – Please call (219) 932-2530 at least 1 day in advance to schedule a ride
- April 30th
- August '18 Engagement - Influences and Futures
- August 10th
7:30 pm | Wolf Lake Pavilion | 2324 Calumet Ave., Hammond - August 11th
7:30 pm | Peter G Redar Memorial Park | 217 Gregory St., Schererville - August 12th
11:00 am | Miller’s Beach Farmer’s Market | 667 S Lake St. & Rt 12, Gary - August 14th
5:00 pm | Marquette Park Pavilion | 1 N Grand Blvd., Gary - August 25th
8:00 am | La Porte Farmer’s Market | Monroe & Lincolnway, La Porte - August 28th
8:00 am | Valparaiso Farmer’s Market | 63 Lafayette St., Valparaiso - September 1st
8:00 am | Michigan City Farmer’s Market | 8th & Washington St., Michigan City
- August 10th
- October '18 Engagement - Programming Approach
- October 4th
5:00 pm | Crown Point Community Library 122, N Main St, Crown Point - October 6th
11:00 am | Founders’ Square Park | 6300 Founders’ Square, Portage - October 11th
5:00 pm | State Street Community Church | 209 State Street, La Porte - October 12
6:00 pm | Whiting Lakefront Park | 1500 Park Road, Whiting - October 13
10:00 am | Irving Elementary School | 4727 Pine Ave., Hammond - October 19th
4:00 pm | Central Park Plaza | 63 Lafayette St., Valparaiso - October 20th
8:00 am | Michigan City Farmer’s Market | 8th & Washington St., Michigan City
- October 4th
- April '19 Engagement - Draft NWI 2050
NWI 2050 Open House and Public Hearing Schedule
- April 22nd
6:00 pm Open House/7:00 pm Public Hearing | Hammond Civic Center | 5825 Sohl Ave., Main Auditorium, Hammond - April 23rd
6:00 Open House/7:00 pm Public Hearing | Indiana University Northwest | 3400 Broadway, Anderson Library, Gary - April 24th
6:00 pm Open House/7:00 pm Public Hearing | Ivy Tech Community College | 3714 Franklin St. Student Affairs Room, SAMP 200, Michigan City - April 25th
6:00 pm Open House/7:00 pm Public Hearing | Valparaiso University | 1600 Chapel Dr., Helge Center Multipurpose Room, Valparaiso
- April 22nd
NWI 2050 is built on the solid foundation laid by the 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan: A Vision for Northwestern Indiana. Though NWI 2050 supersedes 2040 as the region’s long range plan, links to the previous 2040 Plan and its interim update are below.