The central theme that motivates The Ontario Vision, as adopted by the City Council is:
A sustained, community-wide prosperity which continuously adds value and yields benefits.
It is important to note that adding value in this sense encompasses a range of applications, including adding value to prosperity as well as to people, making Ontario truly a premier community of choice. Adding value is expressed in land, revenues, infrastructure, businesses, as well as in education, employment, health, community services, recreation, etc. Adding value comprehensively is what the Ontario Vision is based on and is a keystone of The Ontario Plan. The essence of the central theme can be explained as:
A Premier Community by Design
Everything the City does and every action the City takes should be done with this simple yet comprehensive theme in mind, from the design quality of our built environment to the intent of designing our socio-economic programs, to the way in which we govern as a community.
In discussing a Vision that would endure for the lifetime of The Ontario Plan (30 years or more), the City Council recognized that there are four components that serve as the basic building blocks that set the foundation for a unified and prosperous community. These foundational blocks must be expressed and widely accepted throughout the Plan’s lifetime. They are:
- A Dynamic Stability that enables our community to confront the continued dynamic growth of the region and technological change with confidence and a sense of opportunity.
- A Prosperous Economy that sustains the perception and reality of prosperity across our entire community that positively impacts all the people of Ontario and is broadly – though not uniformly – shared.
- Distinctive Development that integrates our varied and diverse focal points, districts, centers, corridors, and neighborhoods to provide a feeling of coherence without sacrificing uniqueness.
- Recognized Leadership in local governance that stimulates excellence and serves to unify the people of Ontario in support of best practices in conducting public endeavors.
Building on these foundational blocks, our Vision is supported and amplified by more specific ideas we call “Points of Vision.” Our Points of Vision are stated in the present tense to signify that we are now in the future and the Vision is real; it has been achieved. This required our community leaders who crafted the Vision to “mentally” relocate themselves a couple of decades into the future and describe the conditions they sought for our City. An easy way to think of these points is to mentally insert before each statement, the words “We have . . .” or We are . . .” (as appropriate). In this way you as the reader can project yourself into the future and view the Ontario that was envisioned by our leaders.
One more thing needs to be said. The people of Ontario own this Vision. The use of the active “we” and “our” used throughout indicates that it is the community speaking, not just some anonymous technical writer. We strive to be the premier community in the Inland Empire.
An ongoing commitment to maintaining balance among the competing priorities we face as evidenced by the way we allocate public resources and funds through a rigorous goal-setting and budgeting process.
A community that is consistently seeking—and thoughtfully applying—new ways of doing things better.
A community that readily recognizes and capitalizes on new opportunities and intervenes in problems before they have a chance to escalate.
Consistency—year-in and year-out—in setting priorities according to their importance over the long-term rather than focusing only on short-term gains.
Planning systems and personnel that exemplify the very best in professional practices, based on a stable Vision and constantly evolving Ontario Plan.
An established City culture that reflects an ongoing commitment to The Ontario Plan, and the Plan’s active use in a process of continuous improvement, informed decision making and a respect for the inherited benefits derived from past leadership.
The determination to use The Ontario Plan to enable us to leverage quality development and ensure qualities we want and reject those we do not.
An appreciation for the “personality and charm” of this community, preserving important characteristics and values even as growth and change occur, all the while retaining a distinctive local feel where people love to be.
Total commitment to coordinated implementation of the Ontario Vision by all City departments.
A highly diverse economic base that capitalized on early regional centers, strategic corridor locations and international markets as the impetus for the extensive financial and technical centers that now exist.
Strengthened resiliency of Ontario’s economic base alongside the fostering of vibrant mixed-use opportunities throughout the City.
Sustained economic viability and leadership in the region that reflects a highly trained and diverse workforce and that confirms Ontario as an investment destination of choice.
A world-class air facility that is a focal point and magnet for dynamic, multi-faceted metropolitan commercial, cultural and tourist centers serving the economic interests of Ontario and the Southern California region.
Prudent public ownership and timely disposition of strategic properties where public ownership can be demonstrated to reinforce market forces in achieving the City’s economic development and revitalization goals.
Innovative and highly productive industrial areas that set the standards in the region for efficient land use, environmental management, and workforce employment opportunities.
Commercial and Residential Development
Development quality that is broadly recognized as distinctive and not exclusively tied to the general suburban character typical of much of Southern California.
A system of vibrant retail, town, and neighborhood centers responsive to market demands and woven into the fabric of the community.
A reputation for being good for business to work with while still satisfying broader community interests.
A demonstrated ability to attract housing in pursuit of our acknowledged responsibility to balance housing with the job growth that drives our quality of life.
One of the most comprehensive and diverse housing stocks in the region that offers broad choices for its diverse workforce and their families, ranging from entry level housing to executive level development; from semi-rural to highly urban.
Distinctive and well maintained neighborhoods that offer exceptional variety in lifestyles, with convenient access to schools, recreation and cultural facilities, places of worship, places of employment and shopping.
A contemporary arrangement of neighborhoods south of Riverside Drive unified with the older set of neighborhoods to the north, with care taken to preserve and enhance what is successful and selectively allowing intensification and revitalization where desired and appropriate.
Development Quality
A community that is so well maintained and litter-free that its properties uniformly convey a sense of prosperity that is readily apparent and a symbol of community pride.
Unique and authentic districts, centers, and corridors of varied scales that establish Ontario as one of the most vital and diverse locales in Southern California.
Superior quality and design of the built environment and open spaces through careful attention to detail at every scale, including public and private spaces and structures.
Mobility
A true multi-modal transportation system and user oriented management and techniques that facilitate an exceptional degree of movement and connectivity for people and goods to, from and within Ontario.
Comprehensive transit, pedestrian, and bicycle networks that provide connections to parks, open space amenities, schools, and other key destination points for our local citizens.
A track record of identifying and dealing effectively with “choke points” in our transportation system to prevent those constraints from limiting our mobility and economic potential.
Seamless transitions and connections between different transportation modes and between sectors of the City.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure systems that are properly sized to support approved land uses and their occupancy and are maintained in a timely fashion through funding by user groups.
A comprehensive water supply system that provides affordable and dependable volume and quality of water despite unprecedented pressures on the region’s water sources.
A multi-faceted, environmentally responsible energy management system that provides cost-effective power, even during high-demand periods.
Strategically located City owned properties and facilities that serve the City’s civic and economic interests, including public buildings, recreation, transportation, and other infrastructure.
Public Safety
A level of security and public safety that exceeds conventional standards, generates a sense of security throughout the community and establishes Ontario as one of the safest medium-sized cities in the nation.
A comprehensive network of safe routes between residential neighborhoods, schools, parks, community centers and cultural facilities.
Leisure and Cultural Activities
Recreation spaces, facilities and programs that offer ample recreation and cultural involvement by a diverse population.
Strong historic districts and cultural resources matching interests of a population with diverse cultural backgrounds, as well as offering a range of arts and entertainment venues of international significance.
Health and Education
A recognized healthy city, defined by public programs, advanced medical facilities (including a state-of-the-art hospital), engaged community based organizations, and land use/urban design features that foster healthy living.
An outstanding educational system that enables quality education for youth, offers lifelong learning for adults, provides for a variety of academic and vocational pathways from which to choose, and serves the needs of the business community, based on a strong community culture that highly values education.
Resource Conservation and Enhancement
Reduced air pollutants generated from Ontario on a regionally proportional basis, resulting in improved air quality in Ontario and the region.
Land preserved for the open space and recreation needs of the community and stewardship of natural resources.
A broad, integrated approach to resource allocation that will enable future generations to enjoy a quality of life at the same or higher level than the current generation.
A City government that is renowned for applying contemporary business practices for those functions where private sector approaches are applicable.
A community that is widely recognized as a creative and effective partner and a leader within the Southern California region and the Inland Empire.
A community that continues to step into the future ahead of everyone else.
A pivotal force in identifying and implementing regional transportation system improvements and technologies that not only serve Ontario but provide critical regional access as well.
Continuance of effective governance and state-of-the-art practices that enable the municipal corporation to consistently provide exceptional levels of service to the people of Ontario at a relatively low per capita net cost.
A fine-tuned set of ordinances and regulations that implement and do not inadvertently impede our Vision, along with a widely emulated training program for officials and staff to ensure that these tools are understood and used effectively.
Strategic employment of leading new technology that has been rigorously evaluated and found to be cost-effective.
Creation and refinement of visualizations and analytics to clarify and market our Vision worldwide, based on one of the strongest data bases available to local government anywhere.