The Domino Effect
Where is the first domino to push?
How much is it going to cost to push it?
Small town visioning is a great stepping stone when there are funds in place to do something.
What will come of local leadership groups with no resources or funds to do anything?
Will it burn out the goodwill well before Local Government has the resources and organisational capacity to support the process?
We need to discover the triggers to turn these localities around. It will require a place-based process that identifies the actions that will reignite the synergy of place, people and business.
Edge Town Survival
Delivery of small town visions requires Local Government leadership and public infrastructure to support new place-based initiatives.
The critical community issues for a growing city are different from the critical community issues of declining small towns/communities but, most declining communities within Regional Council’s will have very similar identity and lifestyle issues.
For struggling towns and communities, the critical issues for sustainable growth are beyond the scope of Community Plans and the capacity of Local Leadership groups.
It is not that some local communities have been able to turn the tide of decline against all odds…these exceptions always make inspirational workshop presentations…but the real question is why isn’t this the norm?
It seems that when we aren’t focusing the energy of active stakeholders, private sector investment and public programs in places driven by the momentum of existing growth we are clueless as to how to help.
Struggling towns only have the place passion of their community. It is unreasonable to encourage them to believe they can solve their fundamental issue of decline by better networking of existing assets, an approach more appropriate to communities, like our Regional Cities, that are viable & growing.
The solution is a partnership, where local assets are empowered by regionally driven investment. As much as it can’t be top down, in small towns and local communities it cannot be just bottom up.
