What des the future hold for Lakewood?
Lakewood residents and city officials know that Lakewood’s future is open ended. While certain aspects of the community are not likely to change, other aspects of Lakewood are destined for reinterpretation and reinvention. The tomorrow of “tomorrow’s city” remains a collaborative effort of residents and their elected leaders, a process that blends enduring values with creative inspiration to create the future Lakewood.
Lakewood City Council Members never lacked confidence, even during the worst economic or political upheavals of the past. But no one at Lakewood City Hall is foolish enough to predict exactly where Lakewood will be in the next 10 years. Still, city officials have had a general sense of what the future will bring:
Public safety. Lakewood's focus on crime prevention and suppression have kept Sheriff’s response time for calls below the countywide average, added a fingerprint technician to the Lakewood Station's burglary team, put more traffic units on city streets, continued to crack down on illegal fireworks sale and use, and reached out to residents to warn them of crime trends and scams that target social media users.
Crime trends rise and fall because of factors outside the city's ability to control, but Lakewood residents can expect future public safety initiatives to be effective, flexible, and neighborhood oriented.
Council districts. In a significant political change, city council members are now chosen by district, with each council member elected by voters in that district.
Greater diversity. Lakewood has been one of the most diversifying cities in the nation, according to Census statistics. To ensure that the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion remain firmly part of Lakewood's future, the City Council adopted a Community Dialogue Action Plan in 2020. The plan includes a series of roundtable discussions with residents on race, equity, diversity, and inclusion and regular reports to residents on the programs that result from the Community Dialogue process.
Lakewood is committed making the community the most welcoming place it can be for everyone. (Learn about Lakewood's efforts to be more inclusive)
What can Lakewood do to meet the needs of new generations of residents?
Housing needs. Lakewood’s future will be shaped by two realities: lack of developable land and pressures for greater neighborhood density. Lakewood will have to respond to the needs of new residents, and the most pressing will be their need for homes.
State takeaways. Because of state actions that drained Lakewood of local tax revenue and redevelopment funding, the city faced a growing structural deficit. Lakewood voters in 2020 adopted a modest sales tax increase to combat revenue losses. However, city officials are convinced that efforts at the state level to change revenue and land use policies will continue to impact Lakewood.
Limits on development. Lakewood has very limited opportunities for new commercial projects. There's simply nowhere to build. With only about six percent of the city zoned for business uses, Lakewood has less than half the regional average. All but a scant few acres are already developed with shops and businesses.
Changing retail economy. Good planning and a great location have kept Lakewood's retail centers profitable. But will the traditional stores that anchor regional malls become obsolete because of online shopping?
Changing job market. Lakewood was built on a foundation of good-paying jobs in industries like aerospace, shipbuilding, and petrochemicals. Today’s economy has fewer of these jobs. More of the region’s economic base is in the service sector where wages and benefits are lower and job security more fragile. Even newer forms of work will redefine how Lakewood families make a living.
Environmental impacts. Drought, climate change, and future pandemics will affect the Lakewood community in ways that are only partly understood.
New technology. Online government – Lakewood’s “24-hour city hall” concept – debuted in 1996, making it easy for residents to keep on top of city news, sign up for city recreation programs, and pay city bills at www.lakewoodcity.org. (To keep these transactions secure, the city council also adopted a set of tough policies to protect consumer information.) Newer technology will deliver more change in the next decade.
How will an older Lakewood fare in the 21st century?
An older suburb. Lakewood’s 1950s-era homes have defied predictions that they wouldn’t outlast the 1990s, but there are ultimate limits on the longevity of the city’s housing stock. And while many homes have been remodeled and most are in good repair, Lakewood's older homes need additional care.
Political stability. Unlike some cities, whose transition from new suburb to mature community resulted in a legacy of bitter political and community conflict, Lakewood’s spirit of community has seen it through even the hardest of times.
In the end, Lakewood residents found the right direction. They decided Lakewood would be a city that maximized the “human capital” of willing volunteers to sustain the community. And it would be a city that thoughtfully put equity, diversity, and inclusion among its top goals.
Lakewood is navigating the 21st century with its civic values intact, its traditions alive, and its story of incorporation retold to a new generation of residents. The basic character of Lakewood isn’t in question. It will always be – as it is today – a city of homes, schools, businesses, and places of worship.
The challenges of the next decade are big, none bigger than keeping Lakewood a welcoming community. But so are the city's aspirations for its future, based on years of success in providing the quality of life that distinguishes Lakewood's neighborhoods.