Allen's Future

I hope people and community and authenticity are given precedence over cars and parking lots and developing every last parcel of greenery. I would love to see way more walkable areas with technology to put shade in the summer months. People not just getting in their cars to go half mile and ignoring everything around them. I would love to see a walkable community for all ages. I hope there are more third spaces for people, particularly teens who are often lost, to spend time without having to spend money.

Living here for 30+ years, I've seen many changes.... and so many wonderful ones, offering a small-town feel, even though we grew from 20,000 to almost 100,00 during this time period!!! I hope that we have the same hometown opportunities. However, I realize that those "Hometown opportunities" will adjust as our population demographics do and should. Examples: The school districts, the concerts and festivals, the safety of the parks, the beauty of our library and aesthetics of other buildings and offices, the upkeep of BOTH sides of Allen.

The small town feel. Downtown becoming a gathering place. I would home Allen would be home for those who have ventured away.

For me, ALlen represents family, Community, education and safety, and safety.as an Artist, I hope Allen continues to support the arts, welcome creativity, and help people understand that art is another powerful way to express ourselves. I also value the faith and conservative family values that Allen represents. As an immigrant, a mother, a wife, and someone who gives my all to the community, I deeply appreciate the peace this brings, not only to my family, but to the entire community.

I hope we will be an inclusive community that has room for people from many backgrounds who are seeking a good life for themselves and their families and want to contribute to a thriving city.

Growing up in a town that was established in 1792 that has had little change and afraid of changing - I hope that Allen continues to embrace the new creations that will come forth and not become stagnant and stuck in the past. Although, remembering the past is always great to show how far the city has come. However, not allowing for growth and new opportunities to make the city and community better would allow the city to be stale and less appealing for future families.

I hope we keep a strong sense of community - a willingness to be a part of a group that live, work, and care for others. This can be encouraged with more walkable neighborhoods, and continued outreach.

I truly hope that Allen will maintain is "Hometown" appeal. It is my hope that the cultural arts with continue to grow and have more opportunities to serve and bring enjoyment for all of the Allen community!

I hope people in town still care for each other and support their churches, schools, and volunteer groups in 150 years. I hope city government and citizens will and would truely care for the older properties, houses and buildings in town. Support new and improved code enforcement to keep up the older neighborhoods and old parts of town. There is so little left of downtown. I hope that people will Dare to Remember, Dare to Care, and Dare to Honor Allen.

It is difficult to envision 150 years from now. With all of the craziness in our world, I hope Allen still exists and that its future leaders followed the model already established by past and current leaders. I hope that history is still something people care about, seek to document it and celebrate it like we have. I hope that the problems and issues that we have now will all be fixed and that our world in general is a friendly and peaceful place. Will weather be the same, better or worse? I hope better! I suspect that housing will be different, and I hope that all citizens have comparable high-quality housing. I hope that all professions are such that each person makes a salary sufficient to comparably live and to support their families. It will be curious to see how children are educated and how advanced that process will be. I suspect that our leisure activities will be new and different and that our open space and hike and bike trails will remain and be heavily used. I suspect that instead of super crowded roadways, that transportation may be more like the Jetsons, they would just jump into their flying cars or drones! I would expect that people might be more inclusive over time such that old differences might no longer exist. If we can only dream of a better place where we all can equally enjoy a great life with friends! Will it be a Utopia? Likely not, but it is my dream!