Branding Joliet: ‘Many routes, one future’ the slogan for planning city’s future

“Many routes, one future.”

That’s the slogan that a citizens committee hopes will help stir public involvement in the development of a plan to map out the long-term future of Joliet.

The Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee on Wednesday approved the slogan and a logo to go with it.

“This may not seem like an important step in this process, but it really is an important step,” committee Chairman James Roolf said.

Roolf said the branding is part of a bigger effort to bring hundreds of Joliet residents into the process of developing a comprehensive plan that will map out the city’s future.

The city has not developed a comprehensive plan since the 1950s.

Committee member Juan Rico, a business agent with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 176, voiced his appreciation that the logo graphic included depictions of the city’s road, railroad and river networks.

“I think we know that’s what sustains the local economy and is going to move our economic development forward in the future,” Rico said.

Committee member Boise Walker, the owner of a design business who has been a critic of the amount of warehouse development in the southeast section of Joliet, made a statement encouraging more varied development in that part of the city.

Walker pointed to a Quality of Life Plan developed by the city in 2007 proposing improvements for City Council Districts 4 and 5 in the east and near-west sides of Joliet.

“That plan was set on a shelf,” Walker said. “I want to make sure when we’re doing this work we’re cognizant of that plan.”

Committee members said they believed the “Many routes, one future” slogan combined with a logo depicting a tree with roots in the city’s transportation network would send a message that the diversity of Joliet will be taken into account while mapping out its future.

“You’ll see this brand applied to all materials moving forward,” said Katrina Balog with Muse, the consulting firm developing the brand image.

Balog said the image will appear on social media, print information and “future swag” handed out as the city promotes the development of a comprehensive plan.