Towards the end of 2013, the Black Creek Business Association partnered with a UW–Madison student to conduct a community needs assessment. A survey of residents showed that what most wanted was a sense of community, with an atmosphere of a small town and an emphasis on "mom & pop shops." Residents expressed an interest in an increase in food choices, the addition of flower planters and trees, making village streets more biker friendly, more parking areas, and slowing traffic on Main Street.