How does a community strengthen internally to build its assets and resources with the hope of providing service? Further, how does a community invent itself to build public and private partnerships that meet this end?
Last month the NY Times published an article titled Reinventing America’s Cities: The Time is now. The author drew attention to the importance of building public and private partnerships, and balancing social and environmental concerns. Addressing the importance transportation plays in the role of connectivity for community he wrote, “last week the federal Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development announced the creation of an urban task force that would promote the development of sustainable communities linked to public transportation — a small but encouraging step in advancing a more integrated approach to urban growth.”
The article provided ideas for building sustainable, livable, and socially just cities and referenced Frank Gehry’s suggestion that concentrating more public transportation and cultural institutions along a thoroughfare, a city is able to find its center, both geographically and socially. I thought of 2100 South immediately when I read this.
The Westminster and Sugar House partnership can be viewed as a center, a nexus. A nexus is a connection, a tie, a link. It connects a series or group and is defined as the core, or center. In biology it provides intercellular communication and adhesion. In its origin, nexus is defined as a binding, joining, or fastening.
Gary offered the Summit as a nexus, a pinch point, “a place in the life of a community where the currents rub up against each other and in so doing create something new…new friendships, views, agreements, conflicts all built out of the old.” He then directed, “I expect we will come up with ideas, a toolkit, a vision for the future, a commitment to the past. But I am particularly hopeful that it will be the location where by bringing people together we help to create new leaders, new coalitions, new activities, and new businesses.”
With these ideas in mind, organizing the Summit around key community, partnership, and people building elements would assist in the process of creating new ideas, leaders, coalitions, activities, and businesses. These elements include (but are not limited to):
Places for People
Water
Food/Gardening/Markets
Environment
Legibility in the Landscape
Transportation/Accessibility
Access to Goods and Services
Education/Learning
History/Stories
Art/Culture/Music/Beauty
Local Business/Commerce/Industry
Health/Well-being
Social/Civic Engagement
Common interest/purpose/service for good
These elements have power to strengthen resources, create partnerships, and build community because they provide for connection. People are the assets. If an individual is supported and sustained, a family, community, and society is strengthened by extension. People are incredibly resourceful in finding solutions once they understand what the need is. The Summit will serve as an ideal opportunity to inform and be informed by the Sugar House community. In making our places beautiful, meaningful, and sustainable, creating partnership through information is essential.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
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