About Imagine Salem

Imagine Salem is a citywide conversation to identify what kind of city Salem should be in 2026—the year we’ll be celebrating our 400th!

The initial phase of Imagine Salem sought to establish a vision for Salem’s future. Ultimately, Imagine Salem aims to serve as a guide for future decisions.

Based on the collective input from the community, Imagine Salem established guiding principles and proposed the following vision for the future:

In 2026 we are a sustainable and livable city where we celebrate our diverse histories and where people of all backgrounds and means participate and thrive.

Read more about Imagine Salem’s guiding principles here or dig into the full Imagine Salem Progress Report.

Imagine Salem brought people, organizations, and businesses together from across the community to have a conversation about what they want Salem to look like in 2026—the year that Salem celebrates its 400th anniversary. The conversation was framed around housing, jobs, and transportation with themes of equity and inclusiveness woven throughout the topics.

Guiding Principles

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Community

Salem believes in growing and supporting a diverse community, where people have equal opportunity and access to social and economic resources.

Housing

Salem recognizes the community’s right to safe, affordable, and life-enriching housing.

Transportation

Salem believes in an accessible local and regional transportation system that provides alternative modes of transportation and choices.

EMPLOYMENT

Salem’s economy should be a system that contributes to opportunity, a high quality of life, and a sense of community.

CLIMATE & ENERGY

Salem believes in decreasing its impact on the climate and its natural resources through sustainable, clean, and efficient practices.