City reports steady progress on Downey Forward plan
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Nov. 17, 2025, for the expansion of the Columbia Memorial Space Center, a major component of the city’s Downey Forward plans. The project will add approximately 40,000 square feet to the facility and create new space for exhibits, education and programming. (City of Downey photo(
DOWNEY — The City Council received an update Tuesday on the city’s Downey Forward 2030 Strategic Plan, with officials reporting that the five-year roadmap is now 70.4% complete.
The fourth-quarter report covered progress from April 1 through June 30 and showed an increase from 67.9% completion during the previous quarter.
Of the plan’s 101 strategic actions, 45 have been completed, 40 are underway, 12 have not started and four are no longer being pursued.
The Downey Forward plan, adopted by the City Council in June 2024, serves as a citywide roadmap intended to guide policy, budgeting and future projects. It includes five overarching City Council priorities, 16 strategic priorities and 101 individual actions.
The five priorities are Fiscal Responsibility; Economic Vibrancy; Efficiency and Adaptability; Quality of Life, Safety and Infrastructure; and Public Engagement.
Economic Vibrancy showed the highest completion rate at 77.3%, up from 68% in the previous quarter. Public Engagement was 72.7% complete, followed by Efficiency and Adaptability at 70.9%, Fiscal Responsibility at 70%, and Quality of Life, Safety and Infrastructure at 66.1%.
Fiscal Responsibility also posted a notable quarterly increase, rising from 63.6% to 70%, according to the city.
The strategic plan divides its projects into 44 short-term actions targeted for completion within one year, 48 medium-term projects expected to take two to three years, and nine long-term projects with three- to five-year timelines.
Short-term actions were 65.9% complete through June, while medium-term actions were 16.6% complete and long-term actions were 22.2% complete.
Among the completed projects listed in the city’s fourth-quarter dashboard were creation of a citywide Key Performance Indicator system, implementation of agenda management software, development of a new city website, expansion of multilingual and American Sign Language programming at the library, installation of a sidewalk program and several economic-development initiatives.
Other completed actions included assessing police staffing and operations, establishing an interdepartmental team to better coordinate the city’s response to homelessness, researching a splash pad at a city park and expanding Wi-Fi at city parks.
Several major projects remained underway, including implementation of a new Enterprise Resource Planning system, development of a cybersecurity program, an updated General Plan, efforts to attract a premier grocery store, improvements to the Columbia Memorial Space Center and a citywide public art master plan.
The report also listed projects that had not yet started, including development of an organizational succession plan, a technology investment plan for first responders, efforts to expand outreach and service delivery to Downey’s diverse communities, and an improvement plan for the city’s primary gateways.
Four actions are no longer being pursued, including development of a new city website — which was superseded by a completed website project listed elsewhere in the plan — a small-business improvement program, passport services at the library and construction of a second dog park at Golden Park.
Downey began developing the strategic plan in January 2024. The process included City Council interviews, workshops with department leaders, a staff survey and public outreach that generated more than 688 community questionnaires. The council formally adopted Downey Forward 2030 on June 25, 2024.
City officials said quarterly reports will continue as the individual actions advance toward completion. The council received and filed Tuesday’s report, which carried no fiscal impact.