It's Great 'n Dayton

Provide Input on City Priorities

Every 5 years cities, counties and states are required to submit to HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) what is called a Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development that identifies how the communities will spend funds that are awarded them to address certain needs.

HUD's distribution of funds is typically targeted for use to improve the quality of life for low income persons, provide affordable housing opportunities, eliminate slum/blight, and address emergency situations.

In Dayton funds have been used for code enforcement, nuisance abatement (housing demolition), rental rehab programs, support of Rebuilding Together Dayton, and support of other agencies doing things for teens, foreclosure prevention, support of Red Cross, etc.

Infrastructure projects are also eligible uses and street/alley resurfacing is a common use. Expenses associated with neighborhood development (ie. the running of the Priority Boards and distributing small neighborhood grants) can be covered by these funds.

Additional funds are available to communities to specifically use for housing and homelessness. Dayton's shelters are funded with these funds. Dayton has also used funds to offer downpayment assistance, rental rehabilitation, to do the Phoenix project, to invest in senior housing (Twin Towers), etc.

As you can see many good things happen in our community because of funds we receive from the federal government.

If you would like to learn more or would like to share your ideas and provide input the City of Dayton is holding a public forum on Saturday April 17 from 9 am- noon at the Dayton Convention Center. If you would like to attend, please call 333-3670.

By the way, HUD uses Census data to award much of the funding. Make sure you fill out your census form and return it!

Neighborhood Grants Available

The City of Dayton is accepting applications for projects taking place in neighborhoods.

This is a big relief for neighborhood leaders who thought they would see the funding go away when the city started slashing neighborhood and festival budgets as part of its budget cuts.

Projects should be oriented toward community improvement. In addition to impact, leveraging of additional funds/support, community involvement/partnerships, capacity building and collaboration, additional points will be awarded to projects that promote sustainability, pedestrian/bicycle connectivity, and issues dealing with vacant land/lots.

For eligibility requirments and other criteria, visit http://www.cityofdayton.org/Documents/Mini-Grants%202010.pdf

Be sure to pay attention to such details as attendance at mandatory workshops (applications will only be made available to attendees), contacting staff about physical improvement projects and different deadlines for different types of projects.

The City doesn't have to award this money but Dayton has always believed in and supported neighborhood organizing. Along with applying for funds make sure you THANK the commission and mayor for making such funds available.

Changes to City of Dayton Trash Pickup

Hopefully folks are reading their mail - even the junk mail. Haven't seen much from tv media but I know from the Dayton Daily News and from my mail that trash pick-up days are changing in several neighborhoods. Last week the city sent everyone a mailer announcing changes to the trash schedule. I now have it on my fridge because I can never remember when recycling is. I was going to make a pdf of it but you can follow the link to see the changes:

City of Dayton Trash Schedule (on this page are links to city/neighborhood maps and a a list of other changes including bulk pickup and leaf pickup in the fall).

Other interesting news is that some neighborhoods will be set up with larger recycle bins. This was also reported in the Dayton Daily News. What I haven't seen is what neighborhoods are being included in this effort. I hope mine is included because lots of people in our neighborhood recycle and most of our small bins are usually overflowing.

The recycle thing is interesting because it's designed to save money. It's cheaper to recycle than for local cities to pay dumping fees. But what else has happened? Our trash collection rate is being increased as explained in this excerpt from the City's site:

The waste collection fee is changing from $91.36 a year to $117.36 a year. The increase in this annual fee will be reflected in the Water utility bill you receive each quarter, beginning with your second quarter statement. The change will mean $6.50 more on your bill each quarter.  The increase is necessary to offset rising waste collection costs in recent years, including the “tipping” fee the City must pay to dispose of the waste at the landfill, new fees imposed by the EPA, higher fuel costs, etc.

Apparently it's still low compared to other local cities, but it just seems contradictory that citizens who DO recycle and help keep costs down are paying extra for the disposal of trash they're not even generating.

Neighborhood Leadership Institute Accepting Applications

The 2010 Neighborhood Leadership Institute (NLI) deadline is Thursday, February 11, 2010.  

NLI is a 12-week City of Dayton program bringing together citizens from all over Dayton who have an interest in civic affairs, particularly their neighborhoods. It's a great opportunity to meet other people who share similar concerns, learn the inner workings of the city, meet city leaders and develop skills for working in and leading the community.

Please spread the word to help recruit participants for the 2010 NLI class.  Follow the link for brochure, tentative schedule and application.  If you have any questions, contact Kathleen Riggs at 333-3671 or Verletta Jackson at 333-3288.

Nov 3 Get Out and Vote! (and my thoughts on issues and candidates)

Regardless of what community you live in there is probably an election happening that will impact you and that you can have an impact on.

I normally don't discuss politics but I feel pretty strong about a couple issues. Vote YES for 40 and 4!

The Dayton Metro Library and Five Rivers Metroparks are two of our greatest community assets and need our CONTINUED support.

Voters need to be informed. Follow the link for the League of Women Voters Guide that appeared in the Dayton Daily News.

Not that anyone needs to be told how to vote but here's a link to the Dayton Daily News Endorsements (of issues and candidates).

Here are my thoughts on Issues 1, 2, 3:

1 - Our veterans sacrificed alot to protect our freedom. We should make sure we take care of them. Did you know that many of military and their families live at or below the poverty line because their income is that low!?!

2 - Some people are saying this is driven by agri-business and parties outside Ohio. I've heard presentations by people For this issue and they want to create a mechanism specifically to prevent outside interests from telling Ohio farmers how they should conduct their business (small family farms have endorsed this). I think there's something to be said about homegrown food, industry self-regulation, animal welfare, etc. but I don't think we need measures added to the Ohio constitution. I also hear that it's not really needed even though animal rights activitists and agri-businesses intend to target other states in the future. Additionally, there is no money in the state budget for the implementation of a new "board."

3 - Casinos - Yes, money leaves Ohio. Yes, jobs could be created and money retained if Ohio had its own casinos. Will the jobs be zero-sum? They might be new positions but they'll pilfer from already existing positions. That's not new jobs. And will they be part-time jobs with no benefits? And what about the fact that among the jobs being counted are construction jobs that will be over when the buildings are built. On top of all that, who decided what 4 cities could have casinos? What about the rest of the state? What about Dayton? Finally, why not a law to allow gambling in Ohio rather than a constitutional amendment that dictates where gambling can happen? Such a change shouldn't be in the constitution.

I know I've over-simplified the above and I may also not have the facts. I have a few more days to sort it all out. And if you haven't started, you should too!

Now, candidates. I'm not saying who I'm voting for but these are some of my thoughts:

Rhine McLin didn't create the situation Dayton is currently in. There are also things that have happened that are beyond her control and would have happened regardless of who was mayor. She, and the current commissioners, have also had small successes. The question is whether those successes are enough. How much of the city's recent failures were due to inadequate staff versus inadequate leadership (or is one reflective of the other?). Upon news of NCR's departure there was a flury of press and in the Dayton Business Journal business leaders basically voiced "no confidence" in Dayton's leadership. Worth noting is that Dayton's strength is actually in its city manager, not in its mayor. The mayor should provide vision, help shape policy and get out of the way so that the city manager can do his/her job. The mayor and commissioners should also provide appropriate benchmarks and evaluation to assure that their designate is meeting their expectations.

Gary Leitzell would be new to politics although he's not new to political processes. He's been a neighborhood champion for years and has led the Walnut Hills Neighborhood Association and the Southeast Priority Board. He has strong views about the role of city hall being more customer service focused. As an entrepreneur he also presents himself as someone who would interact well with business leaders. Both of these are characteristics that many say is lacking in the current leadership. Gary is independent but has the endorsement of the Montgomery County Republican Party. I think Gary is a good leader and knows how to motivate people. One caution is whether he's too naive about what it really takes to be on the other side of the fence.

Nan Whaley and Joey Williams are incumbent commissioners. Much of what has been said about Rhine Mclin (above and in the community) can also been said about the commissioners. In other areas, however, Nan Whaley has made neighborhoods a priority, particularly through her involvement in dealing with foreclosed, vacant, abandoned, blighted properties. Williams, a bank president, has focused on the city's finances, youth, and efforts toward regional cooperation.

Commission competitor David Esrati is a community activist who has run for other offices. Esrati is very much about strong neighborhoods and transparency in government. He'd be a risk-taker and would be willing to try new things rather than conduct business as usual. He has his thumb on the pulse of what is happening in other cities our size and he has both good ideas and some crazy ideas. My only observation is that he's perceived as a loose canon. As a "renegade" one has to wonder whether his presence on commission would light a fire under some of the other commissioners or start a war that would prevent business from getting done.

I linked all of their names. Make sure you check the content of their websites and decide for yourself who is right for the city.

Beaten Down

Well, it's been over a month since my last post. Sorry about that. There's been plenty going on but I actually haven't had much to say. I've either been too busy or too tired to care. But I do care and a recent post on the Most Metro Forum hit the nail on the head as to why I feel so exasperated:

As far as public opinion is concerned, I think the city has reached such a low point that no matter what city leaders do, they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.  I'm all for criticism where criticism is due (I've certainly done my share over the years), but I can't believe the animosity shown toward the city and those running it by the region at large.  Has it always been like this?  The disconnect between the region-at-large and the city has reached a point that seems possibly past the point of no return.

I'm not a city employee but I a'm a county employee. I don't just have a desk job. I'm out in the community - lots of communities. I have to say it's hard to stay positive when you continually take a beating. As a government employee it's disheartening that local municipalities (leaders and citizens alike) look upon each other like they do. It's disappointing that within the region some people don't understand that a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link (sorry for the cliche but I think it's true). 

I'm not calling Dayton weak but it has some serious flaws and deficits. It has an uphill battle that seems insurmountable and its leaders truly are damned if they do and damned if they don't. And it doesn't help that suburbs don't need to act like a region when they're flourishing. They live their insular lives in what they consider to be thriving communities, proud of the fact that they escaped Dayton. Other disadvantages include the disparity created by Ohio's tax codes, specifically in relation to sales tax, property tax, income tax, and how those relate to cities, townships, villages, etc. but that could be a post of its own!

The sad thing is that most people are quick to point fingers rather than lend a hand. Even the business community is chiming in with public declarations of having no confidence in the leadership. There haven't been headlines to that effect but various quotes in certain articles in the Dayton Business Journal and the Dayton Daily News have pretty much said that. (Sorry I don't have direct links. I think I actually read the stories in the hard copy of those papers). So it's no wonder development efforts are fragmented. Everyone is busy carving their own piece of the pie. Additionally, I'm hearing and also now seeing in the paper that Dayton's relationship with the business community still hasn't improved - even with the creation of the Dayton Business Resource Center. What's that all about? Do fingers need to be pointed in this case?

Ironically, the entire development issue has me perplexed because some people talk out of both sides of their mouths. Some people think government shouldn't be involved in economic development but think it's the city's/county's job to attract and retain businesses. So which is it?

If citizens want change they should speak up and/or get involved. Voting is both a right and a responsibility but I don't think it stops there. Daytonians need to take part in their own fate (and so does the region). Likewise, if private industry wants attention it should speak up and also demand change. To me it's a sad day when community leaders (citizens, volunteers) and private industry leaders are all ready to give up. Who does that leave to be our champions?

Speaking of champions and people taking matters into their own hands, kudos to Peter Benkendorf and Mike Elsass for spearheading http://www.tenlivingcities.org/. Check it out. Get involved. Attend. Volunteer. Make a difference. Show the world we're not dead!

A Few Thoughts about the Updayton Summit

Yesterday's UpDayton Summit was invigorating. The outcomes are reported in the Dayton Daily News and I'll also comment on them at the end of this post. I give the organizers credit because the flow of the day was pretty good, except for the voting on projects which took forever, even using the latest technology to cast votes.

About 200 people were present to discuss ideas about entrepreneurship, nightlife, neighborhoods, making a difference (which I thought was supposed to be about volunteerism but wasn't), hiring/employment, and school systems (don't think that one happened).

A couple things struck me...the target audience was 20-40 year olds and I'd say that maybe 1/2 of the participants fell in that category. I think it's great that so many older people were interested in reaching out to help Dayton be a thriving community but part of me wonders, if these are really serious issues for young people, where were the young people? Of course, we have brain drain. So perhaps there just aren't enough young people to step up.

Another thing that struck me and was a surprise was the amount of conversation we had about ideas to start things, not knowing that what they were talking about already exists. Now, granted, perhaps some services aren't what they should be or could be. Another thing is that some organizations just need to advertise better. Finally, people need to seek what they're looking for. Searching can sometimes be a hassle but my general impression is that people want things handed to them on a silver platter.

So here's a list of "needs" that were identified and resources that already exist:

People wanted to connect entrepreneurs to resources, including startup business development. Here's what I know exists: The Entrepreneur Center (which includes SBA resources), the Urban League also directs minorities to the SBA, the City of Dayton and several other organizations recently combined resources to open the Dayton Business Resource Center. What some participants were looking for were websites like "startabusinessdayton" or "daytonbusinesshelp". Perhaps the already-existing organizations should beef up their online presence!

People also wanted to connect entrepreneurs to investors through forums and even a business start-up competition similar to The Apprentice. We used to have the I-Zone. Does anyone know what happened to it? Was it a precursor to the Dayton Development Coalition or the Entrepreneur Center or are they completely separate?

Again, along the entrepreneur lines, people wanted more opportunities for students, even suggesting that the local universities work together to create programs for students. I didn't research all the schools but I know that UD has an Entrepreneur Program as well as several student run campus businesses. Maybe the other schools should take note, unless they already have programs of their own.

Looking for a job? Someone suggested a job fair, different from the universities and campus recruiting. Apparently the person didn't know that we have a Job Center that has job fairs throughout the year. Separately, multiple industries even have their own job fairs either at the Job Center or at the Convention Center. The Dayton Daily News (where people can look for jobs) is a frequent sponsor.

A community service day received high scores. Apparently people don't know that Dayton already has Community Action Day, Generation Dayton Day, and Rebuilding Together Day.

Things like a safe downtown, changing Dayton's image, developing a brand for Dayton, renovating vacant downtown spaces all came up as priorities. Apparently people don't know about the work of the Downtown Dayton Partnership, the Dayton Development Coalition or the City of Dayton. On the flip side, people said the brands that have been developed don't speak to us or represent us. Leaders, take note. I also tend to think that once the other things fall into place Dayton's brand will be created. So I don't put too much stock into trying to identify the brand first.

Student Housing downtown was an interesting idea. It kept coming up in the scoring but I'm not sure where it ultimately ranked. With local universities plus Sinclair and Miami Jacobs being actually downtown, student housing isn't a bad idea. The Savannah College of Art and Design has basically revitalized Savannah by rehabbing buildings to make housing, studios, classrooms, etc.

A Culture Club was another idea. Organizing events and arranging for discounts, and connecting people to arts and culture. That would be Culture Works. There's also the DDP's Campus Connect program. Someone was describing a Culture Pass but that was really about making downtown safe for people and events. I'm not sure how culture pass represents that. All I could think of was the Culture Works Passport (2 for 1 card).

A trolley system connecting people to arts and cultural events and locations was a priority. However, if we can overcome the image of an unsafe downtown people shouldn't need a trolley. They should be willing to drive. Arranging for transportation from local universities to downtown is a different matter and we should make sure that students have access to events and amenities.

STEM opportunities for volunteering and tutoring in math and the sciences was highly regarded. Hopefully programs teaching the STEM curriculum will reach out for community support for their students.

People wanted weekly updates of things happening. Ideally they want a central hub/portal but in the meantime the following organizations already do regular email blasts: Downtown Dayton Partnership, Culture Works, Dayton Daily News, Metroparks/Riverscape. One thing about all of these sites is that they aren't inclusive. That's why there was so much appeal about a central hub.

Some other projects that drew alot of interest (and could probably happen on their own, in a grassroots kind of way) were: public art programs (like murals, etc.), food co-ops and community gardens, green streets (including bike lanes), and a "buy local" campaign (which I'm surprised wasn't a top priority because it was scored all the way until the end, meaning it was high on the list).

Now on to the four projects that apparently scored the highest (although I'm not sure how the scoring software took into account how 1/2 the people left the Summit during the scoring because it took so long): Grow Downtown Dayton and focus on the urban core, Create more programs for youth, create a central communication hub, and fix up Wayne Avenue between the Oregon District and E. Third Street.

Here are my thoughts: growing downtownis already happening through the efforts of Mike Ervin, the Downtown Dayton Partnership and folks in the Oregon District. Growing downtown and the Wayne Avenue corridor are already priorities. At least these resonate with people and are seen as important. Too bad we can't focus on two different priorities since these are already in the works. Of course, maybe we can build momentum since two separate initiatives have identified these issues.

As for more youth programming: this could be focused at students who are downtown waiting for bus transfers. That was one idea. Others included beefing up the offerings of parks and recreation departments, schools, community centers, arts organizations, etc. This is going to be a challenge since the City of Dayton and Montgomery County are both making drastic cuts due to budget shortfalls and the closing of parks and summer camps is already happening. Creative solutions will be most welcome! Quite frankly I'm surprised this scored so high on the list but I have a feeling the scores were possibly driven by the older people in the room who want to see young people doing something more constructive with their time. At the same time, if young people see opportunities to get involved they might be inclined to have positive memories as they mature and might actually want to stick around instead of getting into trouble or leaving for greener pastures.

Finally, a communication hub that can be a source of things going on. Some people would say ActiveDayton.com is that source. For arts, people can go to DaytonArts.org. Others would argue those sites are insufficient and not representative or inclusive of the community at large. As I mentioned above, several regular communication vehicles are already in place for organizations with email blasts. We may not need them to be replaced but perhaps a portal of some kind can be a one-stop online presence where people can click on the things that interest them and follow links to sites of those other organizations. For instance, on this blog I have an entire list devoted to links of sites that identify things to do. Another topic that came up was the use of viral marketing and social networks. Many of the organizations above haven't gotten around to using Facebook, MySpace, or YouTube. Imagine how much their businesses and attendance might improve by reaching out to people without even realizing it!! There's no better marketing than word-of-mouth and being linked from profile to profile on networking sites serves that purpose.

Moving forward we need to remember that all of this is to make a better Dayton. People signed up to work on the four top projects. Hopefully people already engaged in these areas will see this is a sign of help...not a takeover. Now is not the time to be territorial. It's a time to work together and show how innovative and creative we can be at making Dayton the best place possible.

Dayton Wishlist Part Two

Last night 80-100 (I lost count) people gathered at c{space to provide their input into the Downtown Dayton Plan.  This post is a follow up to the one I posted on Tuesday February 10th. Here's a snapshot of what the folks at c{space had to say (I wasn't going to list ideas that are duplicates of the prior post but I think it's important to see when something is mentioned more than once):

• There needs to be more support for individual artists, especially young emerging ones. This includes space to do their work and show their work.
• More public art (which could take a variety of forms)
• A grocery store
• Connectable spaces that make walking feel safe while at the same time creating a sense that lots of things are happening
• Reuse of the Arcade
• Reuse of empty office space - perhaps creating suites that visitors/travelers could use when in town for business
• More amenities, people, business
• Change of PERCEPTION that downtown is unsafe - challenge to the media to be partners in this because media is part of the problem
• As downtown boundaries expand to encompass a wider ring around the city, make sure to consider that many surrounding neighborhoods have their own visions and plans
• A dog park (which could lead to cafes, pet food store, pet grooming, etc.)
• More color (mentioned several times) - including flags on building, more aesthetic street lighting, more neon highlights, more green space, more plants, more things that can be painted (highway underpasses, etc.), tree-lined streets with lights strung in the trees
• Opportunities for legitimate graffiti (and quick cleanup of illegitimate)
• Boards and locations for wheatpasting posters and promotional materials
• Cheap space for young entrepreneurs to do their work, share ideas/resources, this includes artists
• A sports-plex at the old site of the Parkside Homes
• Cultural Change Campaign
• Connecting beyond the boundaries (75, 35, rivers, etc) - so that those boundaries "go through" but don't "divide"
• Opportunities for families with children (housing and activities) - some people believe this won't happen until the public schools change/improve but the point was made that with or without a change to the Dayton public schools parents need to be involved in their kids lives and living downtown is an option
• Various housing interests  - affordability options (perhaps consider what someone in their 20s could pay and have various options even within the same building so that a person could move from unit to unit as their income changes), needs to include parking, some open space (perhaps patios or small gardens), under 200k, something that competes with a house in Belmont or Kettering (for example), programs to help homeowners, downpayment assistance
• Downtown daycare facility or "family center"
• Reach out to all demographics and remember that as excited as we all are for a successful downtown there are other residents who struggle in their own neighborhoods. Thus city leaders need have a vision for the entire city.
• For people without garages - have a place - even a shared/common one that people can use to work on their own cars
• Whatever initiatives move forward make sure to consider "green" alternatives
• A plug was made for the Merc. They're ready to move forward but still need a commercial tenant as the anchor.
• Capitalize on views of the city (getting back to color and lighting that can be viewed from high points around the city.
• Have more family-oriented restaurants downtown.
• Could the Habitat for Humanity model of sweat equity be a way for people get affordable housing?
• Hockey arena
• Monument to women pioneers
• Competition to create fountains that could be placed around the city, capitilizing on the fact that we sit on an aquifer.
• New ways to get from East to West because there really is no direct way (particularly getting from Salem or Main street over to the east side)
• Encouragement for not losing momentum
• Investment - in business, amenities, infrastructure, retail, entertainment
• Being cognizant and inclusive of diversity
• Housing options that keep in mind the lifestyle of baby-boomers, how they're down-sizing and what aspects of their lives they're likely to stay involved in (socializing, gardening, etc.) and make sure multi-floor units have elevators
• Carriage rides
• Murals
• Bike lockers
• Better care of public art and amenities that already exist so we don't look sloppy and careless. The example that was used was the poor condition of the "Flyover" on Main Street which has tiles falling off of it, dead plants, and chunks torn from the curb from being hit by cars/plows, etc.

Just like the previous meeting the crowd was positive and full of energy. A final thought to leave you with is what one person said in the course of the meeting: We all need to personally invite people downtown. Whether it's friends or family or people from church, if they've never been downtown we should bring them to a show, take them to a festival, ride with them on the bike trails, etc. Another point that was made was that many of the things being discussed are already happening other cities. People we're trying attract to Dayton will not think these things are foreign. It's actually local people we need to convert to think outside the box and to think BIG.

A lot of good things can come from these ideas and this plan. I wish the committee well as it prioritizes, determines what's realistic, and figures out how to pay for it all.

There's one more input session on Tuesday February 17th at Sinclair. For more info about it or to complete a survey online visit Downtown Dayton. You can also participate in discussions at Dayton Most Metro.

Can Dayton Thrive in a Tough Economy?

I periodically head over to Cooltown Studios and the Project for Public Spaces to get ideas of things that are working in other cities. I was struck by this post about cities doing their best during difficult times. Alot resonated with me:

Whatever economic restructuring may be in our near future, it is likely to only strengthen people’s interest in valuing the local assets and places that are precious to them.  We may soon look back on the land-gobbling development craze of the last two decades as an embarrassing excess.  And in this new reality, we could do well by revisiting some old principles:

• We are defined by our homegrown culture and character. To thrive in the coming years we have to do a better job of protecting local resources. People naturally take pride in their local food, places, history, landscape, and businesses. It is time to make sure to give these local assets as much support, if not more, as we do chain stores, multinational corporations and outside culture.

  This affects not just the spirit of our hometowns but the fate of our planet; going local is the only way we can avoid the looming problems of energy use spiraling upward and carbon emissions worsening global warming. Placemaking strategies address both of these concerns by focusing development in the center of towns and cities, reducing sprawl and the demand for more fossil fuels. An added benefit to investing in the revitalization of our core communities is that people's quality of life and quality of place will rise even if the national economy continues to fall.

• Bigger is not better. Large-scale projects can sometimes make a contribution to the local economy, but more often their negative impacts outnumber positive ones. Oversized development can crush the fine-grained urban fabric that makes communities attractive in the first place, especially when scores of small, historic buildings affordable to local businesses and residents are replaced by hulking structures that reduce the economic potential of that place. On the outskirts of town, farmland or forest is eaten up by sprawling malls and speculative development in the name of economic growth, but at what cost?  In sacrificing the scenic and natural quality of these places, we weaken our ability to attract new people to the region. When we lose our local food production capacity, we lose our self-sufficiency and ability to build a strong, locally-based, and sustainable economy.

• Community partnerships offer the best way forward. To succeed, any project must become a working partnership with the people of a community. Creating a community consensus around economic development will ultimately speed up action and attract more partners, funders, and the help of countless individuals who want to be part of the plan. Too often citizens are treated as the enemy.  If we are to improve our cities and towns as places to live, then we need to build upon a shared vision for the future!

• A plan can never substitute for a vision. The current slowdown in development offers the perfect occasion to revisit your community's values, and do some visionary thinking about where you want to go in the future. Take a close look at your community's assets and resources and carefully consider what you want your city or town to be known for in the future. Then prepare a vision statement and development regulations that will help you accomplish that vision when the next growth cycle comes around. This approach allows your community to set its own course for the future instead of being swallowed by outside development forces.

• Take over the streets. Streets are the most prominent and prevalent public space in any town, and making them more pedestrian-friendly is the closest thing you have to a silver bullet for improving your community.  A walkable downtown or neighborhood shopping district quickly becomes a magnet for both public life and economic expansion, thus enriching your community in several ways at the same time. Transportation budgets are the biggest tool most communities have for making positive change, which thankfully has become easier now that most state DOTs and the federal government understand that street projects have to benefit people as much as automobiles. PPS can be a voice helping you to send that message to your state DOT.

• Finally, keep in mind that a return to the roaring economic growth of recent decades is not in our best interest. To make the planet healthier for us and all the species with which we share it, we can no longer define success in terms of ever expanding GDP. Instead, we must learn to live better with less, by focusing on creating great communities and emphasizing quality over quantity – quality of life, place, environment, and society.

The articles that follow in this special end-of-the-year newsletter offer strategies and examples of how we can bring these qualities to communities by refocusing investments to achieve transformative results. When resources are tight, we must be clear about our priorities. That means drawing upon the wisdom of the community as a whole to set those goals, making the most of your best assets and developing partnerships to get things done. This is how you can ensure that your community will thrive even in these uncertain times.

Click here for the entire article.

Click here to my previous post of other PPS Ideas.

Full disclosure: I haven't been part of the meetings but if I'm not mistaken PPS has been to Dayton to meet with Mike Ervin and the folks working on the downtown plan.

Dayton Leadership Program for Neighborhood Activists

 

Okay, I apologize for the late plug on this. The application is due this week.

Last year at this time I applied for Dayton's Neighborhood Leadership Institute. It's a 12-week evening course that acquaints citizens with the ins and outs of local government. I met some great people in my class. Great people doing great things in their neighborhoods and with a deep concern for "all-things-Dayton."

The class was a real eye opener about the fact that all of Dayton belongs to all of us, regardless of what neighborhood we live in. We all need to step up to the plate and face our problems together. I could go on and on but for now here's the link. Once you check out the page, you'll see links for the the program brochure, the application, and the weekly schedule: