Business View Civil and Municipal | February 2021

58 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL FEBRUARY 2021 AT A GLANCE SHELBYVILLE, INDIANA WHAT: A wise and progressive small city; population 20,000 WHERE: 26 miles southeast of Indianapolis, Indiana WEBSITE: www.cityofshelbyvillein.com P rogress, pivot, planning, preparedness, and perseverance are tenets usually lauded by municipal politicians to attract votes and residents but, often, nothing really changes. In Shelbyville, Indiana, municipal staff and politicians put those words into action to bring a city that was floundering into the limelight and attract companies offering jobs with livable wages. They invested millions of dollars and hours of manpower to create educational programs for people of all ages to help fill these positions and bring residents the best possible quality of life. And that dedicated municipal staff didn’t stop there. They completely redesigned the entire city and historic downtown to become more walkable, with a focus on allowing everyone to enjoy the city with unencumbered access, from mothers pushing strollers, to the elderly, and people with mobility issues. Even while focusing on creating a more walkable city, Investing for the future