We don't need to be reactive, on the defensive or offensive, if a
new crisis arises in our neighbourhoods. We can confront noise or blocked streets, say due to a patio restaurant, bar, film company, or retail store, or we can look to partner with new business activities instead.
Businesses need the neighbours on their side. And in a transition to a creative economy, maybe we get businesses on-side too.
Restaurant patios benefit when customers have beautiful things to look at. And so do the neighbours.
Young kids, youth and entrepreneurs could do with help as society transitions from a manufacturing economy into more creative business activity. So that more people can become arts-based professionals, maybe there is also a role that film companies can play and partner with neighbourhoods.
Businesses need the neighbours on their side. And in a transition to a creative economy, maybe we get businesses on-side too.
Restaurant patios benefit when customers have beautiful things to look at. And so do the neighbours.
Young kids, youth and entrepreneurs could do with help as society transitions from a manufacturing economy into more creative business activity. So that more people can become arts-based professionals, maybe there is also a role that film companies can play and partner with neighbourhoods.
The
challenge that any group of neighbours face in order to partner with businesses is the
need to develop creative and aspirational
visions for the area. (What does each of us see our neighbourhood looking like with more
beauty, enrichment and convenience at our doorsteps? What would be in place if we attracted
greater ease and grace into our lives?)
It all starts with something typed up and perhaps on a website that's about our diverse and individual visions of a better life.
Out of the visions comes a mission, or how to we make our visions real. Tumbling out of the mission we produce a series of major objectives, or a list of what we are willing to do to 'get it together', be pro-active, and help ourselves and others.
Describe each new feature of an objective you care enough about that you are willing to work on. Then explain the benefit of each feature - what it produces that either the business or the neighbours will enjoy.
It all starts with something typed up and perhaps on a website that's about our diverse and individual visions of a better life.
Out of the visions comes a mission, or how to we make our visions real. Tumbling out of the mission we produce a series of major objectives, or a list of what we are willing to do to 'get it together', be pro-active, and help ourselves and others.
Describe each new feature of an objective you care enough about that you are willing to work on. Then explain the benefit of each feature - what it produces that either the business or the neighbours will enjoy.
Businesses
are clear on what they work to achieve. Ask any company chief what the company's objectives are and he or she will have an
up-to-date list of reasons why their people come together, and get
paid to achieve each month.
Businesses are pretty straight forward and linear with the major objective of profit for shareholders or owner. This outlook is basic and uncomplicated compared to improving life in neighbourhoods.
Businesses usually want no fuss, to work within the law, and people explaining things in short sentences. So prepare before you engage in negotiations - talk to your local city or town councillor. Know what by-laws apply to where the business operates, such as noise limits, and ask about the specific zoning for the area where the business is located.
And mention your estimate, i.e. informed guess, of the percentage that their operating efficiency will increase if they decide to partner with the neighbourhood. Unless you're guess is completely outrageous it will be hard to disagree with any kind of attractive guess.
Businesses exist to make money on someone's investment - so find out who the investors are, and talk about the increased return on investment, or simply ROI, they can make if they partner with you.
Did the business need to get a mortgage on the building? If so, who is lending them the money?
Businesses are pretty straight forward and linear with the major objective of profit for shareholders or owner. This outlook is basic and uncomplicated compared to improving life in neighbourhoods.
Businesses usually want no fuss, to work within the law, and people explaining things in short sentences. So prepare before you engage in negotiations - talk to your local city or town councillor. Know what by-laws apply to where the business operates, such as noise limits, and ask about the specific zoning for the area where the business is located.
And mention your estimate, i.e. informed guess, of the percentage that their operating efficiency will increase if they decide to partner with the neighbourhood. Unless you're guess is completely outrageous it will be hard to disagree with any kind of attractive guess.
Businesses exist to make money on someone's investment - so find out who the investors are, and talk about the increased return on investment, or simply ROI, they can make if they partner with you.
Did the business need to get a mortgage on the building? If so, who is lending them the money?
Introduce the Neighbours to a Practical Vision
So in preparing to partner, we need a neighbourhood vision. Your neighbourhood would not be the first. In fact you could tell your neighbours, "We have been lagging behind". See http://www.ontariomcp.ca/
So in preparing to partner, we need a neighbourhood vision. Your neighbourhood would not be the first. In fact you could tell your neighbours, "We have been lagging behind". See http://www.ontariomcp.ca/
Either
before or after a little rumble with the new business in the area, propose a Collaborative Village model of
organizing to a few neighbours. This generates income and support for people willing to
contribute to improving society.
Even start a simple web site or blog that suggests the necessary change, and email a few of the neighbours with a link to what you`ve written.
They may give you the silent treatment initially because it's new - and not everyone wants to show their leadership qualities. "Why fix it, if it ain't broken?" suddenly doesn't apply to the local economy - but obviously something needs to be done. So let it simmer on a low heat for a while.
Don't be totally surprised if someone else comes up with something vaguely similar and perhaps less effective, at a later time. Just let the most recent 'messenger' take the credit. Then guide the group to something more powerful and effective.
Even start a simple web site or blog that suggests the necessary change, and email a few of the neighbours with a link to what you`ve written.
They may give you the silent treatment initially because it's new - and not everyone wants to show their leadership qualities. "Why fix it, if it ain't broken?" suddenly doesn't apply to the local economy - but obviously something needs to be done. So let it simmer on a low heat for a while.
Don't be totally surprised if someone else comes up with something vaguely similar and perhaps less effective, at a later time. Just let the most recent 'messenger' take the credit. Then guide the group to something more powerful and effective.
A new way to Get Things Done
A
Collaborative Village finds suitable, under-utilized space for
various aspects of a neighbourhood campus. This is for education that
prepares youth and entrepreneurs for the transition to a creative
economy. Studies will be within areas like creativity, community,
compassion, and entrepreneurship.
There's a big role for semi-retired elders to play. They can help younger people start initiatives and become more practical and realistic. And these 'neighbourhood elders' stand to learn a lot from today's youth.
A Collaborative Village looks at starting local TV and internet sites for production and support for the neighbourhood campus. Let's face it, the various levels of government are not going to be building large numbers of new universities and colleges.
People who need the necessary re-education for creativity and compassion etc. won't get it unless the neighbouhood works together and we all stand to benefit.
There's a big role for semi-retired elders to play. They can help younger people start initiatives and become more practical and realistic. And these 'neighbourhood elders' stand to learn a lot from today's youth.
A Collaborative Village looks at starting local TV and internet sites for production and support for the neighbourhood campus. Let's face it, the various levels of government are not going to be building large numbers of new universities and colleges.
People who need the necessary re-education for creativity and compassion etc. won't get it unless the neighbouhood works together and we all stand to benefit.
A
Collaborative Village sets up local collaborative hubs for
self-employed people to benefit from working together. And we all
need a break from all this commuting that chokes our lungs and stresses
the ecology.
So who wants to coordinate a village?
Self-employed
people who are coaches, workshop facilitators, mediators, healing
professionals, counselors and agents are always looking for new
clients. And nothing beats 'word-of-mouth' referrals!
Finding new
and affordable opportunities to promote their services presents them with many
real and immediate benefits. I know I would like a neighbourhood
rooting for me because of doing good work for the local community. Why
wouldn't others?
Is coordinating a village possible?
It
was not possible to have all this extra enrichment of our lives before
the internet. It was too complicated to get people to direct themselves and work together without the 'boss guy' role.
Few options existed in post-secondary education but to build a new campus. People had to publish expensive text books, because there was no way to learn and bring our knowledge together like we can today, using a wiki. We had no opportunities to publish materials on-line as a neighbourhood - say on a website or blog.
We didn't have on-line tools for self-directed business collaborations, which allowed for our individual principles and values, until Better Means was freely available to everyone.
And there were few options for local film and TV production and distribution, that is, before phones were manufactured with built-in cameras, and www.YouTube.com came along.
Few options existed in post-secondary education but to build a new campus. People had to publish expensive text books, because there was no way to learn and bring our knowledge together like we can today, using a wiki. We had no opportunities to publish materials on-line as a neighbourhood - say on a website or blog.
We didn't have on-line tools for self-directed business collaborations, which allowed for our individual principles and values, until Better Means was freely available to everyone.
And there were few options for local film and TV production and distribution, that is, before phones were manufactured with built-in cameras, and www.YouTube.com came along.
What other models are there to consider?
The
business investment area (BIA) model of organizing started in
Bloor West Village in Toronto and is now used in over 1,000 cities
internationally. However, people who run BIA's don't always live in the
area, and they often don't care what goes on in an area after their
businesses close for the evening.
They will react if something impacts their business. But they won't necessarily be proactive in terms of enriching non-commercial areas in a neighbourhood, i.e. off the main streets.
They will react if something impacts their business. But they won't necessarily be proactive in terms of enriching non-commercial areas in a neighbourhood, i.e. off the main streets.
We can also consider a resident's association
model, where there is great socializing and occasional coming together
around problems and opportunities. But nothing like
a response to the effects of globalization, and the subsequent economic
transition we are going through.
It just seems to me that extreme change on the planet demands more than - the same ol', same ol'. The residents` association in my area is wonderful, highly effective, and we have an innovative and fully engaged city councillor. However, this may not be the case in your area, and you may want something that brings money to your neighbourhood.
Also consider a friends of the area model for volunteering, open to anyone. You see this around parks or lane-ways that a city can no longer afford to maintain. It can be fun in the short-term to get together, but it won't necessarily continue to bring people together unless there's some financial benefit.
It just seems to me that extreme change on the planet demands more than - the same ol', same ol'. The residents` association in my area is wonderful, highly effective, and we have an innovative and fully engaged city councillor. However, this may not be the case in your area, and you may want something that brings money to your neighbourhood.
Also consider a friends of the area model for volunteering, open to anyone. You see this around parks or lane-ways that a city can no longer afford to maintain. It can be fun in the short-term to get together, but it won't necessarily continue to bring people together unless there's some financial benefit.
As
we move beyond some of the social conditioning we were raised on,
we see how we're all born creative but had it trained out of us. The manufacturing economy needed people to work on production lines all their lives. Those days are gone.
There are many options we can research, share and explore. Remember, this is how people have adapted and moved forward throughout history.
There are many options we can research, share and explore. Remember, this is how people have adapted and moved forward throughout history.
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