Expanded Vision Statement:

In the future, Hayward continues to grow in population and stature, becoming a destination city in the East Bay. Existing residents are proud to call Hayward home, and it is becoming a community of choice for new families and employers. 

Hayward attracts new, higher-paying jobs, allowing existing and new residents to live and work in the same community. Hayward’s attractive downtown and neighborhood business corridors draw people from across the region, featuring unique and locally-owned restaurants, music and art, attractive retail, outdoor dining, and inviting public spaces. 

Diverse families live in healthy, inclusive ‘complete communities’ with stable housing, safe streets, excellent schools, cultural attractions, and community services. The city celebrates its diversity openly with cultural events, and protects that diversity with its commitment to equitable development. Hayward leads by developing important service partnerships between local and regional agencies. 

Families are proud to live in an ‘education city,’ where the city actively supports them in taking advantage of the many local educational opportunities available. All residents know they will have a pathway from ‘cradle to career’ in Hayward. 

Hayward has started construction of thousands of new housing units at all income levels. To reduce displacement of existing residents, the City is especially focused on making housing accessible and affordable to all, with new high density developments located near transit. The few who are unhoused are able to access the services necessary to thrive. Because demand is high, blighted properties throughout the city are re-developed and occupied. 

Hayward continues to be a leader in climate resilience and environmental justice, reducing its carbon footprint, improving its sustainable practices, increasing green spaces, and preparing residents to face the impacts of climate change. Clean, leafy and landscaped corridors are more walkable and bikeable. Hayward and its neighboring cities have prioritized active transportation and multi-modal corridors over a reliance on cars and roads. As a result, the City sees less traffic, less pollution, and less speeding. 

Through innovative programs, Hayward has also aligned public safety with community expectations for effectiveness, response times, and engagement, leading to an overall reduction in harm, improved mental health, and better relationships within Hayward’s diverse community. 

Internally, employees feel city-wide priorities are aligned to their work and are able to grow and thrive in their roles. Employees from diverse backgrounds are recruited, retained and celebrated, and staff provide culturally informed services to our community. The City continues to develop innovative revenue sources and maintains a well-staffed and well-resourced workforce. The City is streamlining processes, using technology more effectively, and improving cross-department collaboration to provide better customer service. 

Overall, there is a rising sense of pride among employees and residents alike. While there is much more to do, the City of Hayward is a place where people want to be. 

Racial Equity Lens: 

We strive to build a culture of equity to ensure that we are meeting the needs of all residents. 

The City is committed to providing equitable services that improve the lives of all residents and take into consideration past inequities and injustices. We know achieving this vision requires tackling tough issues like institutional racism and implicit bias. We also know it takes continuous listening, learning, and improvement.

Questions we ask when we apply a racial equity lens to a service or project: 

• What problem is this service/project seeking to address? 
• Who benefits from this service/project? Are some community members impacted by the problem more than others? Do we have demographic information about this group(s)? 
• Who does this service/project not benefit? Do we have demographic information about this group(s)? 
• Who is currently accessing this service? 
• Who is not accessing this service? Do we know why? Are there barriers that makes it more difficult for some community members to use or access this service? 
• How are we communicating about this service/project? What barriers are there for people to find up-to-date information? 
• What racial, cultural, and/or ethnic groups experience disparities related to this program? How does this program benefit them or further exacerbate their disparities? 

Education City Lens:

We strive to build a city where all residents have access to quality educational opportunities and cradle-to-career support so they can achieve their life goals. 

The City is committed to working alongside our educational and community partners to support the academic success and future employment of Hayward’s students. The City does this by actively participating in collaborations like the Hayward Promise Neighborhoods, growing the economy, facilitating pathways for both private and public sector careers, partnering to provide education and employment services, and communicating about educational opportunities and successes. 

Strategic Priorities:

Creating the Six Priorities 

In order to achieve the vision, what must the City prioritize? In answer to this question, we arrived at the six overarching focus areas, or Strategic Priorities, that structure this Roadmap. The Strategic Priorities provide a framework to focus on the most pressing special projects and process improvements, as well as a structure for the work that happens in the Council subcommittees.