11 Key Elements Must Intersect to Create a Vibrant Community. Here are 5 of Them. (Part One of Two)

Every community wants to be a great place to live and work. Yet even with the economic resurgence America is feeling, many towns and cities have a long way to go. They’re grappling with unemployment. Neighborhoods are deteriorating. People are moving away. And communities just can’t figure out how to create positive, sustainable growth.

One problem may be that their focus is too narrow: When the approach is siloed, they don’t typically get the momentum and the economic results required for creating vibrancy.

Vibrant communities happen when many different forces intersect in the right way. Leaders from many sectors of the community have to collaborate before they can take the steps that allow sustainable growth to take off

In other words, vibrant communities are built—and it has to happen in a smart and organic way. It really requires a sense of collaboration across a lot of different disciplines. In fact, we have found there are at least 11 important elements that must come together. In this blog post we will identify five of them:

A Psychological Shift.
People believe that government is the answer for community building. Until they change this belief, they’ll be stuck. The goal is to help citizens understand, This is our community. We, the people, are responsible for its well-being.This mindset shift is the first and most important step. Every action will flow from the sense of ownership it creates.

A Basic Understanding of Change Management.
Understanding change is vital. You need this understanding for framing issues the right way and for gaining the resilience it takes to endure the long process of getting things done. Throwing facts and data at citizens isn’t enough. People make decisions with their heart, not their head. A community must find the burning platformthat compels citizens to act. In Pensacola it was, How can we keep our children and grandchildren from leaving home?Once leaders framed issues this way, they finally got enough people behind the needed changes to achieve critical mass.

A Good Measurement System.
Create a dashboard showing critical, objective metrics, update it regularly, and keep it in front of citizens. It will help them see how healthy their community is, identify needed improvements, and gauge progress. It’s a way to constantly be asking, How is our community doing on areas that are important to us? Wages? Crime? Education? High school dropout rate?

Smart Planning.
A community must be able to see the 10,000-foot view. Should you invest in a river walk, bike path, or some other type of development? Where should buildings go for maximum impact? How do you revitalize downtown? Which intersection should be the focal point? What types of businesses should you attract? What are your policies around incentives? It pays to seek the advice of experts. Pensacola brought in Jim Clifton, chairman and CEO of Gallup, and Ray Gindroz, of Urban Design Associates, to help answer some of these questions.

A Focus on Economics.
Judge all community projects through this lens: If it doesn’t lead to economic growth, don’t do it. Growth is almost always driven by private investment. It’s the key to job creation and a strong, sustainable tax base. That doesn’t mean individual investors will see market returns immediately. Their real reward is the vibrant community that develops over time—and of course the opportunities that will arise down the road.

Consider these elements as they apply to your community. Which ones are your strengths or your bright spots? Which ones could you stand to improve on? Which one might you focus on first? Next time we’ll explore six more factors that can help your community become more vibrant. In the meantime, thanks for reading. We wish you the best on your journey to vibrancy.