In his 1995 book, “Bowling Alone,” Harvard professor Robert Putnam argued that Americans are increasingly disconnected from each other and from civic life. Americans, he wrote, belong to fewer organizations, know their neighbors less well and are less likely than in former decades to be involved in their community and their government.
Several metro-area cities are betting he’s wrong. Faced with complex, challenging issues, they are reaching out to citizens for guidance, and betting that citizens will respond.
Longmont and Parker are both grappling with growth issues. Longmont today is a community of 80,000 people; when built out, it is expected to reach 102,000. “That much growth is scary to a lot of people,” says Mary Blue, Longmont resident and former chair of the Regional Transportation District board.
Rather than adopting a wait-and-see attitude, Longmont is confronting growth issues directly. The city has begun a strategic planning process that Blue likens to “one giant front porch” to explore how best to plan for the future.
The 10-month project will result in a strategic plan that is based in part on “stories” from people from all walks of life. Blue and 33 other volunteers attended a two-day workshop, then interviewed residents to learn their vision for the city. Blue says residents talked about a wide range of issues, from traffic to urban design. The interviews were followed by a series of community meetings.
The second phase of the process, which will continue through July, is bringing residents together to discuss three or four alternative directions for the community. As citizens weigh the relative merit of each direction, they will become more educated about the complex issues involved and provide guidance for community leaders.
Parker is also involving citizen-volunteers as it plans for future development through 2025. Phase one of the master planning process, which began two years ago, included interviews, written and telephone surveys, and a “Meeting-in-a-Box.”
Bryce Matthews, planner for Parker, says the city advertised for volunteers and identified “sticky people” (people who are active in the community) who would agree to use the “Meeting-in-a-Box” to learn what issues were important to their friends and neighbors. The boxes included a series of questions for participants to discuss. Before the process was over, volunteers had conducted 22 meetings in home settings.
The meetings involved people who probably would never attend a public meeting, Matthews says. “People said the meetings in homes were convenient and comfortable. They could speak their minds freely. And they liked being in their own neighborhood and hanging out with friends.”
Following those meetings, the city held workshops with community groups to present facts about the city’s challenges. This summer, goals and strategies developed from the process will be presented to the community as a whole.
Northglenn is confronting issues related to being an older community. The city is partnering with citizens in five neighborhoods to develop what Kae Madden, community engagement manager, describes as a “participatory model” of government. “We want citizens to think about what they can do for themselves, and what it’s essential for the city to do,” Madden says.
Northglenn residents are being encouraged to establish goals and priorities for their own neighborhoods and to advise the city on how to allocate scarce resources. One neighborhood, faced with the closure of a local elementary school, is working with the city and school district to determine the best future use for the building. A second neighborhood is studying ways to minimize storm water damage that occurs during 100-year floods. Residents in a third neighborhood, concerned about child safety near their elementary school, are working with the principal and parents to find solutions.
Those who charge that we have become a nation of apathetic and indifferent people need to turn their eyes to what is happening in Colorado. City leaders who are seeking public input are reaching out in new and innovative ways – and citizens, in unexpected numbers, are responding with enthusiasm.
