Press Release

Aspen City Council approves city’s first-ever strategic plan

Aspen, CO — Aspen City Council on Tuesday approved the city’s first-ever strategic plan, establishing a clear, transparent two-year roadmap that aligns City Council priorities with day-to-day city operations and long-term community outcomes. 

The strategic plan consolidates the city’s mission and values, along with Council’s guiding principles and goals, into a single, accessible document designed to improve transparency, prioritize high-impact work, and clearly communicate how the city is delivering results for the Aspen community. 

“This strategic plan gives Aspen something we’ve never had before — one shared framework that clearly shows what matters most, how we’re prioritizing our work, and how we’ll measure success,” said City Manager Pete Strecker. “It aligns our people, resources, and operations around Council direction and gives both staff and the community a practical tool to track progress and stay accountable.” 

He added that while the plan highlights Council priorities and allows for measurement, it is not all encompassing to the work staff does and the city will continue to deliver exceptional services across all lines of business for the community.

The plan organizes City Council’s priorities into six strategic objectives for the next two years. Four objectives focus on advancing Council’s critical priority projects and goals through 2027, while two objectives embed Council’s guiding principles into daily city operations. 

The six strategic objectives are: 

• Critical public projects: Delivering high-impact capital projects of generational importance, including the Armory Hall redevelopment, the Lumberyard Affordable Housing project, and improvements to the Entrance to Aspen. 
• Early childhood education: Supporting working families by expanding childcare availability, improving affordability, and investing in high-quality learning environments and a sustainable early-education workforce. 
• Resource and infrastructure resilience: Strengthening energy, water, and wildfire resilience to address climate change, protect natural systems, and ensure long-term community safety and sustainability. 
• Traffic flow and congestion: Reducing congestion and improving mobility through multimodal transportation investments, demand management strategies, and ongoing infrastructure maintenance. 
• Exceptional experiences and services: Maintaining high-quality public spaces, simplifying permits and licensing, and delivering convenient, responsive city services. 
• Organizational excellence: Investing in people, culture, and efficient processes to support a resilient, high-performing municipal workforce. 

Each objective includes three priority initiatives the city can directly influence, supported by defined success metrics that link tangible outcomes to Council goals. Together, these elements align Council’s vision with organizational priorities and daily work. 

“Adopting Aspen’s first strategic plan is an important milestone for our community,” said Mayor Rachael Richards. “This plan reflects our shared values and sets clear expectations for how the city will focus its efforts over the next two years — from housing and childcare to climate resilience and exceptional public service. It’s about being intentional, transparent, and accountable to the people we serve.” 

The strategic plan and supporting materials will be available on the city’s website, with future enhancements including a public-facing dashboard to track progress over time. Internally, progress tracking will be integrated with the city’s budgeting systems to better align resources with strategic priorities and reduce administrative costs. 

To read the Strategic Plan, click here

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For more information, please contact: 
 Pete Strecker, City Manager 
 (970) 920-5057 
 Pete.strecker@aspen.gov 
 Carolyn Sackariason, Communications Co-manager 
 (970) 319-2791 
 Carolyn.sackariason@aspen.gov