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City Announces Release of New, Modernized Website
The City of Evanston is proud to announce the launch of its new, modernized website at www.cityofevanston.org. While the address remains the same, the new site represents a significant step forward in enhancing digital accessibility, improving usability, and delivering a more seamless and user-friendly online experience for the entire community.
“The City’s website is one of our community’s most important communication tools. Residents rely on it to find information, access City calendars, and a wide range of City services and resources. I am hopeful this updated experience will make navigating the site easier, more intuitive, and more welcoming for everyone who uses it. Our goal is to ensure that community members can quickly find the information they need and connect with City services in a way that feels simple, accessible, and supportive,” said City Manager Luke Stowe.
Why the City Updated Its Website
The website modernization was guided by several important factors. First, updated federal requirements under the U.S. Department of Justice’s ADA Title II regulations reinforce the importance of digital accessibility for public entities. Regardless of regulatory timelines, the City recognizes that accessible digital services are essential to equitable access to information and services for all community members.
Second, the City has seen a significant acceleration in reliance on digital services, especially during and following the COVID-19 pandemic, making the website a primary point of interaction between the City and the public. The previous website, last comprehensively updated in 2017, was overdue for an overhaul.
From August 15 to September 14, 2024, the City’s Communications and Information Technology Divisions conducted both a public community survey and an internal staff survey. Feedback consistently highlighted the need for improved site navigation, clearer content, and enhanced accessibility.
In 2025, the City website had 924,000 active users, averaging approximately 2,500 per day, highlighting the importance of making information easy to find, accurate, and accessible.
The City also engaged with its ADA Advisory Committee and worked closely with the City’s new Accessibility Advisors to ensure accessibility considerations were meaningfully integrated throughout the redesign process.
A Deliberate and Transparent Process
In November 2024, the City conducted a rigorous Request for Proposals (RFP) process that included extensive research, analysis, and evaluation. This process culminated in the selection of Revize as the City’s new website platform provider. The recommendation was presented to and reviewed by the City Council in the Spring of 2025, ensuring full transparency.
Throughout the project, over 100 staff members from across City departments collaborated closely to inventory content, rethink information architecture, and align the website with shared organizational priorities.
What’s New
The redesigned website reflects significant work and thoughtful decision-making, including:
- A strong focus on user experience, accessibility, and the findability of information, based on community survey feedback
- A 40% reduction in total page count, eliminating outdated, duplicative, or unnecessary content
- Improved navigation, improved integration with third-party platforms, and a modernized design
- A comprehensive overhaul of website governance, with clearer roles, processes, and accountability for content accuracy
- Increased staff training to support both the new platform’s expanded capabilities and ongoing content stewardship
- Accessibility remediation to address legacy issues and improve compliance and usability
- Future-proofing to better meet archival requirements, evolving accessibility standards, and advancing search engine optimization
What to Expect Next
As with any major digital transition, some short-term issues may occur. While the initial calibration period has progressed well, users may occasionally encounter broken or outdated links due to the large-scale overhaul of the website’s information architecture. These issues should improve over time as search engines adjust to the new site structure and users become familiar with updated information locations.
Community members' patience and trust are appreciated as staff work to ensure the long-term success of the new website. Committed to continuous improvement, the City welcomes all feedback through the “Report a Website Issue” form, conveniently available in the website footer.