" How is it that some small cities and towns are prospering, while many others are suffering disinvestment, loss of identity and even abandonment?
Why are some communities able to maintain their historic character and quality of life in the face of a rapidly changing world, while others have lost the very features that once gave them distinction and appeal? "
How can our town, Oyo, develop without losing its heart and soul?""
By Bode Durojaiye, the Director of Media and Publicity to the late Alaafin of Oyo.
From coast to coast, communities are struggling to answer these questions.
With my experience in some communities I traversed to across most States of the country in the course of my professional calling, I have come to some conclusions about why some communities succeed and others fail.
Many communities have found ways to retain their small-town values, historic character, scenic beauty and sense of community, yet sustain a prosperous economy.
And they’ve done it without accepting the kind of cookie-cutter development that has turned many communities into faceless places that young people flee, tourists avoid and which no longer instill a sense of pride in residents.
Every “successful” community has its own strengths and weaknesses, but they all share some common characteristics.
It’s clear for instance that successful communities involve a broad cross-section of residents in determining and planning for the future. They also capitalize on their distinctive assets – their architecture, history, natural surroundings, and home grown businesses – rather than trying to adopt a new and different identity.
Most successful communities also utilize a variety of private-sector and market incentives to influence new development, instead of relying solely on government regulations.
Not every, successful community displays all of the following characteristics, but most have made use of at least 3 or 4:
1, Have a vision for the future
Inventory assets.
2, Build plans on the enhancement of existing assets.
3, Use education and incentives, not just regulation.
4, Pick and choose among development projects.
5, Cooperate with neighbours for mutual benefits.
6, Pay attention to community aesthetics.
7 , Have strong leaders and committed citizens.
8, Have a Vision for the Future
Successful communities always have a plan for the future. Unfortunately, “planning” is a dirty word in some communities. In some places, this is the result of today’s highly polarized political culture. In other places, it results from a misunderstanding of planning and its value.
The truth is, failing to plan, simply means planning to fail. It is difficult to name any successful individual, organization, corporation or community that doesn’t plan for the future.
Try to imagine a company that didn’t have a business plan. It would have a very hard time attracting investors or staying competitive in the marketplace.
The same is true of communities. A community plan is simply a blueprint for the future. People may differ on how to achieve the community’s vision, but without a blueprint, a community will flounder.
Understandably, people don’t like change. But change is inevitable.
Technology, the economy, demographics, population growth, market trends and consumer attitudes are always changing and they will affect a community whether people like it or not. There are really only two kinds of change in the world today: planned change and unplanned change.
Communities can grow by choice or chance.
Abraham Lincoln used to say that “the best way to predict the future is to create it yourself.”
Communities with a vision for the future will always be more successful than communities that just accept whatever comes along.
To be continued ......
