Windshield Survey Assignment
Section I: Windshield Survey
What is the name of the
community/city/county?
What are the boundaries of this city or where is
this community located? Is it obvious where
the community starts and ends? And you know
that how?
What kinds of services for families are
available? Could a family find everything they
need on a day to day basis within this
neighborhood/community? (such as food, gas,
healthcare, etc.) If not, how far would they
have to travel to find such services?
Is the city/community safe to children to play
and walk to school? Describe.
Are there any organizations like Boys and
Girls Clubs, churches, or Head Start centers
that provide activities for children? Describe.
Plano, Illinois
Plano is situated far away from Chicago,
having boundaries of cornfields. Due to the
transition from single-lane highways through
these cornfields to multi-lane roads, it is
extremely clear when you are in Plano.
Plano has several departmental stores and
service centers. The majority of regular
necessities were supplied by Walmart. Plano
has petrol stations, KinderCare, and the Fox
Valley YMCA. Plano also has a number of
smaller healthcare facilities, notably family and
primary care clinics. The natives of Plano can
visit their surroundings for specialized
services.
Plano, a suburb of Chicago, has 11,058
residents. Residents in Plano enjoy a sparse
suburban vibe, and the majority own their
houses. Plano has a large family population
and a moderate political climate. Plano's public
schools are better than average. It provides a
safe environment for children as they can
safely play outside their houses.
Plano is home to 8 churches that belong to
various Christian denominations. Many of
Plano's churches promote numerous kid-

What kinds of jobs would people have in this
community? Any special industry or big
employers present? Describe.
Do the schools appear inviting to students?
Are the buildings in good condition or are they
run down? Are the playgrounds current or old?
Describe.
Is there lots of real estate for sale? Are they
mostly houses or is there evidence of closed
down businesses?
friendly events. Almost every church had
advertisements for their upcoming summer
vacation bible school. In addition to serving as
the community pool, it also runs a before and
after-school program at its location and within
the neighborhood public schools. Additionally,
it has the neighborhood's basketball court and a
complete gym.
The Menards Distribution Center, on the city's
northern edge that supplies the majority of
Menards shops inside the Chicago metro area,
is the largest employer in the Plano region.
Walmart is the other significant employer in
the region and also has a sizable "supercenter"
facility in the city. There are also a variety of
minor support sectors due to its closeness to
the trucking industry, including tire shops,
truck repair shops, and auto component
suppliers.
The primary school in Plano is an old structure
with typical wear and tear because Plano is a
tiny, historic town. The nearby high school has
a superbly maintained outdoor football
stadium, which is next to a football field, and
the playground outside appears to have just
been updated with newer modern materials.
Despite being straightforward, it seems to have
been properly taken care of. Waubonsee
Community College, a nearby community
college in the city of Sugar Grove, has a brand-
new branch in the city as well. Waubonsee has
lately been growing its campuses, with the
Plano campus being the most modern and
equipped.
There are a lot of empty stores, many of which
were shut down during the epidemic (as shown
by the numerous placards on their windows

What type of stores/businesses are available
(shopping centers, neighborhood stores,
convenience stores, grocery stores,
pharmacies?)Are they in one area or spread out
within the community? Can people walk there?
Describe.
Any ethnic stores/markets? If not local, how
far would residents have to travel?
Are there churches present? Do those buildings
appear to be well maintained or are they run
down? What is the predominate type of church
building seen? Describe.
that read "will be reopening as soon as we
can"). - There isn't an area of the city that
would be deemed "abandoned," yet practically
every business block has at least one
unoccupied suite.
There are a lot of smaller, one-person shops,
but most of them are simply alcohol stores
with a tiny food department. The sizable
Walmart Supercenter has the lone pharmacy in
the community. It would take at least 10
minutes to drive to Walgreens. Nearly the
majority of the petrol stations, convenience
stores, and other businesses are situated along
Route 34 in the city's center, while the
residential districts extend north and south of
the road. Some of the smaller establishments
might be reached on foot; however, Aldi and
Walmart are situated further from the
neighborhood's center.
There were no directly ethnic stores to be
found when driving around Plano. The ones in
Yorkville, a nearby city to the east, would be
the closest. The distance to a sizable retail
center in Yorkville with a variety of ethnic
businesses from various nations would take
around 15 minutes travel.
Plano has a total of eight churches; two of
them are situated on big farmland, and the
remaining six are very old and traditional. The
majority of them are older structures, but they
have been well maintained and have
contemporary signage. Two churches, in
particular, seemed to be in very poor condition.
These two were situated both inside the
residential neighborhoods and off Route 34. If
the churches weren't on Google Maps or there

Are there doctor offices/dental offices within
the community/neighborhood? Any alternative
medicine services available? Any hospitals? Is
medical care available within the community
or do the residents have to travel? If they
travel, how far away do they have to go for
care?
Are there social agencies (welfare, WIC, social On the eastern side of the city, there is a
services) available?If not found local where are Secretary of State office with a social security
these nearest agencies found?
Any senior centers or child care centers
available? Does it appear that the centers are
utilized? Describe.
Are there community organizations present
(Elks, Masons, etc.)? If not seen locally, how
far awayare these types of organizations for
residents?
wasn't any new signage, you may not have
known they were places of worship.
Plano has several primary care doctors who
have private practices. For any specialized
services, natives of Plano have to travel to
nearby places such as Yorkville. The nearest
hospital is about 10 minutes to the west, in
Sandwich, Illinois. For residents who needed
any form of special care, this would be the
nearest location. There are no independent
emergency rooms or urgent care centers in the
neighborhood; people would have to drive to
Sandwich or Yorkville for those services.
and welfare distribution facility adjacent to it.
There isn't a senior center in Plano, and there is
just one within a 15-mile radius, which is in
Yorkville. There are two primary childcare
facilities in Plano. The building itself is rather
big, with both outdoor and indoor amenities,
including playgrounds, basketball courts,
swimming pools, and soccer fields. It also has
a classroom.
A Masonic Lodge may be found just off Route
34, the main thoroughfare. There was a sign,
but nothing indicating the extent of their
community commitment.
Are there any restaurants or fast food in the
community/neighborhood? Describe.
Are there political signs present? What are
most of the political signs about? Does the
community appear to be Republican or
Democrat? Describe.
What is the age of the houses? Are they all new
or old or a mix of both? Are they made of
bricks or painted? Are they mostly single story
or multistory homes? Describe.
Are there single-family homes, mobile homes,
apartments or duplexes? Describe.
Only McDonald's and Subway were present.
However, there are many of little, family-run
eateries, including a Chinese restaurant, two
pizza joints, three Mexican eateries, a few tiny
coffee shops, and numerous pubs and dive
bars. All of these modest, family-run
businesses are housed in aging structures and
seem to have been a part of the neighborhood
for a considerable amount of time. Many of the
taverns and pubs have a "dive bar" feel to
them.
The majority of the area's political signs are in
public spaces and were erected by the
campaigns themselves. The majority of these
bumper stickers read "Trump 2020/2024" and
"Lets Go Brandon," showing that the
neighborhood tends to tilt more Republican
than Democratic. It should be made clear that
these political messages were not on most
automobiles; rather, they were merely the ones
that were seen.
Most of the residences are older ranch-style
homes from the 1960s and 1970s. There aren't
many two-story or big houses. The external
work on some has been redone, but the insides
of all the residences feel incredibly antiquated.
The majority of the homes include sizable front
and rear yards. The ones that are caged in often
have regular chain link fencing surrounding
them.
The community is primarily made up of single-
family dwellings. The city has no housing
developments for mobile homes. According to
numerous other portions of the study, the
majority of the single-family residences are

Do the houses appear to be well maintained or
are they run down? Are the yards maintained?
Is there junk on the porches/yard? Describe.
Are there sidewalks and stoplights in the
community/neighborhood? Describe.
Is there any open public spaces? Recreations
centers? Green spaces? Public gardens or
parks? Do the parks seem to be in good repair
or are they run down? Are there lots of trees?
Are there any baseball fields, soccer fields?
(The schools may have these)
Is the community/neighborhood clean or is
there litter? Any abandoned cars or junk
visible to the public? Describe.
dispersed to the north and south of Route 34.
Whichever street you travel down, you'll see
either extremely well-maintained homes or
very poorly-maintained ones. The majority of
the communities contain older but well-kept
homes with neatly mowed lawns and tidy
yards, making up around 75% of them.
Although Route 34's main thoroughfare has
stop lights, the majority of its minor streets and
residential roads only have stop or yield signs.
The majority of the bigger residential streets
have sidewalks, however they are obviously
older, have visible cracks, and have been
damaged by water or ice.
There are several open parks in the city, but
most of them are just fields with a few picnic
tables. Simple baseball courts and soccer fields
without benches are incorporated into some of
the parks. Additionally, there are a number of
forest preserves nearby with simple pathways.
The majorities of these are rather tiny and have
little parking.
Plano has several baseball and soccer fields.
There is one that is connected to the high
school, as well as a few unofficial ones in other
parks.
The majority of the streets and neighborhoods
are older, but they are quite tidy and well-kept,
and there is hardly any trash or abandoned
automobiles.
What is the overall air quality appear to be?
Any smog, stink? Does the water in lakes or
ponds appear reasonably clear? Describe.
How to people get around in the
neighborhood? Do the cars appear well
maintained or are they old? Are there buses,
sidewalks, any bicyclists? Is there a train? Are
there bicycle lanes or bicycle racks in many
places?
Are the roads in good repair or are they in poor
condition? Describe.
How is the traffic? Is it mostly commercial
traffic or local traffic? Describe.
Do you see any law enforcement officers? Is Several different police cars were spotted in
their presence felt in the community? Describe. Plano. Two were on patrol, and two had
The air is generally clean and excellent. There
is no indication of smog or other serious
pollution. The area's lakes and ponds have pure
water. Since many of them are in natural areas,
they have the somewhat green appearance of
ponds that are home to real life.
The majority of people travel in the area by
car. The town does not have a bus service. The
majority of the vehicles were more than ten
years old and in various states of repair. There
were several vehicles on the road that had
shattered windows or bumpers. There were a
few bikers in the area, but there weren't many
in the neighborhoods. There were no separate
lanes for bicycles.
Although there are not many potholes and the
roads are in generally good condition, many of
them exhibit indications of typical Midwest
wear and strain (roads were damaged mainly
due to the presence of ice during the winter)
The traffic in the city is good, but the condition
of the roads sometimes leads to rashness on the
roads.

Are there major highways/roads through the
neighborhood/community?
Can you find a fire station? Notice any fire
hydrants around the town/neighborhood? If not
seen, where is the nearest fire station?
Any ambulance garages present? (The local
hospitals or fire stations may have this if not
seen separately)
Any evidence of a neighborhood watch
program? Are homes gated off? Do you see
security system signs posted in
yards/businesses? Describe.
What is the ethnicity of the
neighborhood/community? Describe.
Where do young people go to gather/hang out Most people who can drive decide to go to
in the neighborhood/community? Where do the Yorkville, which is close by and offers a
elderly go? Describe. variety of entertainment alternatives, including
stopped cars on their own. The police presence
is noticeable in Plano despite the city's
generally low crime rate.
Route 34, the only genuine multi-lane road in
the city, is the largest route, as it was
mentioned in various parts. Near Plano, there
are no significant roads or interstates.
The Secretary of State complex is near to a fire
station, and hydrants can be found on
practically all of the streets studied for this
study.
The fire station is connected to an ambulance
garage.
There were "Crimestoppers" signs up in a few
of the neighborhoods (a local hotline to report
crimes), but there was no proof of a
neighborhood watch. Homes nearby lacked
protection and cameras, in contrast to bigger
establishments like Walmart and the Menards
Distribution Center. Private security was not
observed at any residences.
Eighty percent of the local population is
Caucasian, making up the dominant ethnic
group. African Americans (14%) and
Hispanics (14%) make up the other two main
ethnic groups (6%). The vast majority of those
surveyed in this study were of Caucasian
ethnicity.

Are there nursing homes/rehab centers present? Plano does not have any nursing homes or
If not found locally how far away are these
resources?
Any evidence of homelessness? Is there a
homeless shelter? Describe.
Notice any stray animals? Describe.
Miscellaneous observations (here is where you
describe the situation that led you to choose the
community project you will be doing, if the
observations do not fall into one of the above
categories.
the closest movie theater. Elderly community
facilities are few, and there aren't many
chances for them either.
rehab facilities. The closest places are in
Yorkville, which is east of you; a 10-minute
drive will get you there.
In the Walmart parking lot, one homeless
person was doing panhandling. Many others
stopped to offer him cash. - Other than that,
there was little proof of a sizable homeless
population.
No.
The neighborhood still has a "old guard" of
people who grew up without the chances that
are just now starting to become available,
despite the fact that this is changing. - It's also
important to note that I saw a number of people
who, although not seeming to be homeless,
were undoubtedly under the affect of it.
 Section II: Data/Observation Analysis:

What is your overall impression of the community?

Since Plano is a small place, I found it a good place to live as the community is closely
connected and has all the basic facilities. People love to enjoy their lives in Plano as they find
happiness in small things and a hassle-free lifestyle.

What are the neighborhood/community’s weaknesses or challenges or problems?

Lack of prospects in the area, particularly for entertainment drug usage (I saw a number of
people who I'm rather sure were using drugs) While not devastating, a lack of investment in
infrastructural development must be addressed.
What is the most pressing problem you identified, in your opinion?

The few entertainment choices in the area is the pressing concern. It seems cliché, but when
young people lack access to social and recreational alternatives in their neighborhood, they
frequently wind up hanging out at Walmart or other similar establishments.

Propose a solution to this problem that is realistic and relevant. Discuss who would address
this and how.

The solution to improving the quality of living in Plano is that the government can provide
incentives and benefits for employees to work in Plano. This will generate more income in the
area and eventually lead to establishment of many facilities including education, health care and
entertainment.

What is the most striking thing about this community?

Plano is a small city with a population of about 11,000 people. Communities are interconnected
and contribute to each other's growth and development. The community I surveyed is the most
important part of that community.

What was most unexpected?

The response I got during my visit to the place is unexpected. Searching the internet about the
place, I didn't expect much to entertain everyone, but the storekeepers and general service section
of the city are very friendly and provide their best information.