Communities, like paintings, are essentially an aggregation of multiple "colors" sometimes expertly combined and sometimes not.
We can all recognize the difference between a good painting and a bad painting. Good painters are internally driven, care passionately about their vision, and work tirelessly to combine the individual elements to create it. The painter of a cheap motel painting is primarily driven by external needs—getting immediate cash, creating something a certain size to match given decorations, and getting as many done as cheaply as possible. The difference is motivation, vision and commitment to a quality product.
The difference between good and bad community planning is similar. Recognizing this, the challenge is clear; to be successful in creating our community vision, we must:
Be Proactive
We need to act without external prodding. We must ask ourselves first—"What do we want our community to be?" At the Institute of the North Coast, we believe there is a much higher level of community consensus than is portrayed through the media and local "myth and folklore."
Be Inclusive
The public will always be involved in community decision making. How they will involve themselves depends on the process. Any planning process, whether it be for land use planning or welfare reform, must be open early to all of those who affect or are affected by the outcome of the process.
Take Time to Do It Right
Nothing stifles creativity and motivation faster than rushing a group of people through a process. Imagine if great artists were required to produce three paintings per day. Community planning should receive no less attention to detail.
Measure Progress
Unfortunately, we often ignore or are not motivated to include one of the more important pieces of planning, accurately measuring our success. Evaluation of programs frequently focuses on "process" measurements, rather than "outcomes" measurements.
Finally, we all must remember that we cannot do this alone. It is true that a single individual or organization can provide the leadership needed to inspire a broad-based community vision. But ultimately, it takes the commitment of all of our community to ensure success—having a community vision that reflects the community's interest and having the commitment of our citizens to achieve it.
© 1998 Gregg Foster, Institute of North Coast