DOCUMENT RESUME ED 426 271 · DOCUMENT RESUME. CE 077 959. Smart Talk for Growing Communities:...

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Smart Talk for Growing Communities: Meeting the Challengesof Growth and Development. A Guide for Public Dialogue andProblem Solving [and] The Busy Citizen's Guide for PublicDialogue and Problem Solving.Topsfield Foundation, Washington, DC.1998-00-0082p.; A publication of the Congressional Exchange project.Congressional Exchange, 1120 G Street, NW, Suite 730,Washington, DC 20005.Guides Classroom Learner (051) Guides Classroom -

Teacher (052)MF01/PC04 Plus Postage.Adult Education; *Adult Programs; Annotated Bibliographies;*Citizen Participation; *Community Action; *CommunityDevelopment; Community Organizations; Community Programs;Discussion Groups; Group Discussion; Group Dynamics;Information Sources; Internet; Leaders Guides; NationalOrganizations; Nonprofit Organizations; *Problem Solving;Program Implementation; Public Agencies; Resource Materials;Strategic Planning; World Wide Web*Facilitators; *Study Circles

This facilitator's guide explains how to lead a series offive sessions (study circles) designed to foster public dialogue and problemsolving among citizens interested in meeting the challenges of communitygrowth and development. The document begins with an introduction to theconcept of study circles that examines the following: definition of growth,

ways study circles can foster growth, features and benefits of study circles,

ways of making the most of study circles, and ground rules for useful

discussions. Presented next are materials for leading discussions on thefollowing topics: ways growth is changing the community; reasons for thechanges the community is experiencing; options available for addressinggrowth issues; ground rules for meeting with public officials; and actionsthe community can take to shape its future. Concluding the guide are thefollowing: glossary; tips for facilitators (help practitioners know what toexpect, learn as you go, use the views expressed, manage the discussion);

organization of study circle programs (overview of study circles, organizingstudy circles on growth, organizing for action, involving public officials);and resources for further discussion and action (list of 38 organizations and

13 websites and annotated bibliography of 31 publications). The companioncitizen's guide contains the same materials, minus the facilitator notes andinformation. (MN)

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SMART TALKFOR GROWINGCOMMUNMESMeeting the Challenges ofGrowth and Development

2A guide for public dialogue and problem solving

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

SMART MLKFOR GROWING

COMMIES0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0

Meeting the

Challenges of Growth

and Development

A guide for public dialogue

and problem solving

Congressional Exchange A project of the Topsfield Foundation, Inc.

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CONGRESSIONAL EXCHANGE1120 G Street NW Suite 730Washington, DC 20005

Phone 202.393.1441Fax 202.626.4978E-mail [email protected]

Congressional Exchange (CX) is a project of theTopsfield Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit, nonpartisanfoundation dedicated to advancing deliberativedemocracy and improving the quality of life in theUnited States. CX carries out this mission by bringingcitizens and public officials together in study circlessmall-group, democratic, highly participatory discus-sionsabout the nation's most important challenges.CX provides technical assistance and publicationsfor individuals and organizations who are workingto promote study circle dialogue between citizensand public officials, with a particular emphasis onmembers of Congress.Congressional Exchange often works in partnershipwith its sister project, the Study Circles ResourceCenter (SCRC). Much of SCRC's work centers onpromoting the development of community-widestudy circle programs organized by broad-basedsponsoring coalitions and involving large numbers ofparticipants. Contact SCRC for help with organizihgcommunity-wide study circle programs. (Please seepage 38 for SCRC's contact information.)

WRITING AND RESEARCHHarbinger InstituteMichele Archie and Howard D Terry

RESFARCH ASSISTANCEReem Ghandour

EDITING AND DESIGNTwo Ducks DesignSusie DuckworthDesignerCarolyn DuckworthEditor and Project Manager

MANAGING EDITOR AND PROJECT DIRECTORPatrick L. Scully

Cover Photo CreditsCouple looking at home plans, dilapidated cityscape, and childrenwatching street paving furnished by UniPhoto Picture Agency,Washington, DC. Rush hour traffic and strip mall signs furnishedby PhotoDisc at www.photodisc.com. Urban growth boundaryaround Portland, Oregon, from the collection of Mr Rich Frishman,Everett, Washington.

© 1998 Topsfield Foundation, Inc.

Printed in the United States on recycled paper using soy ink

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CONTENTS0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNIMSMeeting the Challenges of Growth and Development

INTRODUCTIONWhy should we take part in study circles on growth? 1

What is "growth"?How can study circles help?What's in this discussion guide?What is a study circle?Making the most of your study circleGround rules for useful discussions

DISCUSSION MATERIALS

SESSION 1 How is growth changing our community? 4SESSION 2 Why is our community experiencing these changes? 8SESSION 3 What are our options for addressing growth issues? 10SESSION 4 Meeting with public officials 17SESSION 5 Shaping the future:What can we do in our community? 19

GLOSSARY 23

TIPS FOR FACILITATORS 25Help participants know what to expectLearn as you goUse the viewsManage the discussion

ORGANIZING STUDY CIRCLE PROGRAMS 28An overview of study circlesOrganizing study circles on growthOrganizing for actionInvolving public officials

RESOURCES FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AND ACTION 35OrganizationsWeb sitesPublications and other resources

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Inside Back Cover

INTRODUCTION0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Why Should We Take PartIn Study Circles On Growth?

ARE YOU...O Stuck in traffic?O Worried about how your community will pay for new

schools and sewer systems?

O Watching fields being turned into subdivisions?O Questioning whether you can afford your own home?O Afraid to open your property tax bill?O Puzzled by new strips of commercial and housing

development?

O Wondering what's happening to the way of life youcherish?

WHAT IF...O The economy seems more vital than before?O Newcomers are bringing welcomed energy to civic and

cultural activities?O The value of your home or land is on the rise?O You now have more convenience and choices?O You appreciate the lifestyle afforded by the new

homes and housing developments?

These are ALL signs of rapidly growing minim:TAIGA

Rapid growth changes communities. It createsnew choices, new problems, new opportunities,and new dilemmas. It can raise a new set of issuesor sharpen old ones. These "growing pains" aren'tlikely to go away if they're simply left alone. That'swhy more and more communities are comingtogether in study circles to find ways of maldnggrowth work for them.

0 WHAT IS "GROWTH"?Communities' growing pains often can be tracedback to two main kinds of growth: One is arapidly growing population. The other isexpanding physical developmentthe growing,often sprawling, "footprint" that a communitymakes on the land.

In some communities, these two kinds ofgrowth go hand in hand. For example, in ruralareas across the country, population is growingand physical development is expanding. Manyof these communities are faced with the

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challenge of "rural sprawl"the effectof people building houses far apart fromone another over what was once opencountryside outside of town. Somepeople feel that this kind of growthmakes it difficult to keep a small-townatmosphere and the rural feel of thesurrounding landscape. The effects arefelt most strongly in the fastest-growingplacesthose that attract retirees, serveas recreational centers, provide access topublic lands, or sit at what one journalistterms "the rural limits of a commute" tojobs in a metropolitan area.

In other places, physical developmentis expanding faster than the population.This is true in many metropolitan areas.For example, between 1970 and 1990,population in the Cleveland area fell by11 percent. But the urbanized areaaround Clevelandthe shoppingcenters, business districts, and housingdevelopmentsgrew by one-third. Inmetropolitan areas across the country,central cities and older suburbs are

losing population while newer suburbs, "edgecities," and brand new developments expand.

El HOW CAN STUDY CIRCLES HELP?

Study circles bring people together to talk aboutan issue. By talking about growth, participantscan gain a clearer understanding of how andwhy growth is happening, and what effects it'shaving. Participants also get new ideas aboutwhat they can do to help their communitygrow into the kind of place they are happy tocall home.

To make progress on the issues raised byrapid growth, you need to reach out to peoplethroughout the community. Study circlesaddress this need by providing a place where allkinds of people can feel comfortable. Moreover,study circles can serve as springboardsparticipants often become more active onother community issues.

SMAIEr TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES INTRODUCTION 1

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Study circles also provide a way to bringcitizens together with public officials from CityHall to Congress to work on the public policyaspects of these issues. At its heart, growth is acommunity issue. But the solutions to growthissues can't be found or carried out strictly at thelocal level. Each community's situation andchoices are influenced by outside forces. Theseinclude patterns of development within theregion; state land use, school funding, andeconomic development policies; federal envi-ronmental regulations and transportationpolicies; and international trade agreements.Coming together in study circle sessions withpublic officials helps citizens understand thisbroader context. And public officials benefitfrom citizens' perspectives and ideas.

No group, whether it's a chamber of com-merce, civic group, city council, countygovernment, state legislature, or federal agency,can find the answers to growth issues alone.Study circles on growth can be an importantstep in bringing your community together in itssearch for understanding and solutions.

WHAT'S IN THIS DISCUSSION GUIDE?The main part of the guide includes a seriesof five sessions that can help you move fromunderstanding to effective action in partnershipwith fellow community members and govern-ment leaders.

SESSION 1 How is growth changingour community?

Get to know other group members, listen toeach others' hopes and concerns for yourcommunity, and talk about how growth isaffecting your community.

SESSION 2 Why is our communityexperiencing these changes?

Explore what growth looks like in your com-munity and why it's happening.

SESSION 3 What are our options foraddressing growth issues?

Consider some of your options for address-ing the issues that growth raises, usingapproaches from other communities togenerate new ideas.

SESSION 4 Meeting with public officialsMeet with public officials and participants in

2 SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES INTRODUCTION

other study circles to discuss how yourcommunity might address the challengesof growth.

SESSION 5 Shaping the future: What can wedo in our community?

Identify individual and community actionsthat can help solve growth problems andmove your community in the direction ofyour brightest visions.

You'll also findA glossary that defines key termsSuggestions for organizing and facilitatingstudy circlesResources to help you with further learningand action

WHAT IS A STUDY CIRCLE?

The study circle is a simple process for small-group deliberation. Study circles create a settingfor personal learning, building community, andproblem solving. Here are some of their definingcharacteristics:

A study circle involves 10-15 people who cometogether to talk with each other about publicissues. They meet regularlyusually at leastthree timesover a period of weeks or monthsand work in a democratic and collaborativeway.

A study circle is facilitated by a person whoserves the group by keeping the discussionfocused and asking thought-provokingquestions. The study circle facilitator doesnot act as an expert on the issue.A study circle looks at an issue from manypoints of view. Study circle facilitators anddiscussion materials help participants consid-er different viewpoints, feel comfortableexpressing their own ideas, and explore areasof common ground.A study circle begins by exploring participants'personal connections to an issue. The discus-sion then expands to consider a range of viewsabout the issue and how it might be resolved.Finally, the study circle focuses on Whatindividuals, organizations, and communitiescan do to address the issue. Study circles oftenprompt people to take action individually andtogether with other community members.

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Study circles can take place within organiza-tions such as schools, workplaces, neighbor-hood associations, clubs, congregations, orgovernment agencies. In such settings, a singlegroup of study circle participants meeting forjust a few weeks can lay important groundworkfor positive change.

Study circles achieve their greatest potential,however, when many are going on at the sametime in the community. These community-wideprograms usually have many diverse organiza-tions as sponsors or endorsers. Organizers ofcommunity-wide programs strive to involve asmany members of the community as possible inthe study circles.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOURSTUDY CIRCLE

In a study circle, how you talk with each other isas important as what you talk about. These tipswill help make your study circle enjoyable,thought-provoking, and productive:

Attend every study circle session.If everyone in your group makes a good effortto be at each meeting, you will build trust andfamiliarity This is essential for a conversationthat explores the depths of how you feel andthink about the issue. And you won't feel theneed to review the details of each session forthose who did not attend.Be prepared.Read the discussion materials before youcome to each session. Each part of the studycircle guide offers questions, viewpoints, andideas to help you examine the issue. By read-ing the materials ahead of time, you will beready to jump right in to the discussion. Theguide also suggests simple things you can doto keep your own learning and reflection goingbetween study circle meetings.Take responsibility for the quality of thediscussion.The study circle facilitator's job is to keep thediscussion moving and on track. In the dictio-nary, the word "facilitate" means "to makeeasier." But participants are also responsiblefor "making things easier"! At the first sessionof your study circle, your group will set groundrules.about what kind of discussions you want

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to have and how you want to treat each other.Stick with these ground rules and help othersdo the same.Remember that you are not alone.If your study circle is part of a larger,community-wide program, many other studycircles may be going on at the same timein your area. Join with them for a kick-offsession, to meet with public officials, or fora wrap-up discussion about taking action onthe issue. These joint meetings help buildmomentum for addressing the issue across thecommunity. Even if no other study circles aregoing on at the same time, remember thatothers in your community are concernedabout the issues that you are discussing.

GROUND RULESFOR USEFULDISCUSSIONS

Use these suggestionsas a starting pointfor coming up with

your own ground

rules to guide your

study circle.

11 Everyone gets a fairhearing.

2 Share "air time."3 One person speaks at a

time. Don't interrupt.4 Speak for yourself, not

for others.5 If you are offended,

say so.

6 You can disagree, butdon't personalize it.Stick to the issue.No name-calling orstereotyping.

7 Everyone helps thefacilitator keep thediscussion moving andon track.

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SmAnT TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES /NTRODUCT/ON 3

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How Is Growth ChangingOur Community?

FACILITATOR TIPS

8 Break the session into three parts.Use the amount of time suggestedfor each as a guide.

8 Explain the purpose of the study cir-cle and what participants can do tomake the most of it. Set the groundrules. (See page 3.)

0 Create an open, inclusive atmos-phere. Make sure everyone has achance to speak and to meet othergroup members.

TO START PART 2

(9 Ask a few members of your studycircle to volunteer to read eachview out loud.ORAsk members to read the views tothemselves.

After reading the views, ask some ofthe "Questions to think about" listedbelow.

TAKE NOTES-

0 Ask someone to take notes.

0 Write the notes on large sheetsof paper in print that everyonecan see.

Save these notes so that you canrefer to them in later sessions.

(See page 26 for tips on taking notes.)

This first session lays the groundwork for therest of your study circle. It's an opportunity toget to know other group members and share

your hopes and concerns for your community. Youwill also talk about how your community is growing,and the changes that growth brings with it. '

PART 1 Discussion starter (30 minutes)

What do you like most about living here? Whatmakes you glad you live here?What concerns brought you to these discussionsabout growth?

PART 2 How is growth affecting ourcommunity? (60 minutes)

Many similarities exist in the ways that communi-ties across the country are growing and changingshape. But each community is unique, too. Yourcommunity is experiencing its own set of changesand responding to growth in distinctive ways.

Your personal experiences and perspectives areimportant starting points in understanding what'shappening in your community. What does growthlook like where you live? What effects is it having onyour community?

Each of the following views is written in the voiceof someone who holds that view. Use these viewsto start talking about how growth is affecting yourcommunity and to develop your own ideas.

4 SMART TALK Fon GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSION

VIEWS

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT WHENDISCUSSING THE VIEWS

0 Which view is closest to your own? Why? What ex-periences and beliefs have helped form your views?

ID Think about a view you don't agree with. Whatmight lead someone else to agree with that view?

D What points of view would you like to add?

VIEW 1Our town is losing its unique character.The way our community is growing is destroying thethings that make this an attractive and pleasantplace to live. The strip developments with their boxystores and big parking lots are ugly and impersonal.Houses seem to be everywhere, even on the hillsidesand in the farmlands and forests surrounding town.We've lost the natural setting for our community.And we are abandoning the traditional look of ourtown's older neighborhoods as we build new subdi-visions with row after row of similar houses with nosidewalks or front porches.

VIEW 2The economy is thriving.Our community's economy has picked up and this isa better place to live. New jobs and businesses havebrought a sense of vitality People have plenty of

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choices about where to shopit seems there arestores to fit every price range and every need. Andnew housing developments offer people the kind ofhomes they want at a price they can afford. With thenew jobs, it seems as though our young people, whonot too long ago felt they had to move away to makea decent living, will decide to stay.

VIEW 3Traffic congestion is growing.Our community is developing in ways that make usdepend on our cars to get around. Most people don'tlive near where they work or go to school, and pub-lic transportation isn't available in many places. Theupshot is that we're spending more time in our carson roads that cannot handle the growing traffic.Elderly people and others who can't drive are oftenisolated, and many parents feel like chauffeursto children who need rides from school to soccerpractice to friends' houses.

VIEW 4Racial and economic isolation is worse.New suburban developments are growing and thriv-ing at the expense of the older parts of our area.Upper and middle class people continue to moveout of town and into the suburbs, while the urbancore of our area becomes poorer and racially isolat-ed. Even the older, working class suburbs are feelingthe pinch because most new jobs and economicactivity are in the newer suburbs.

People who live in the core urban areas find itdifficult to get to the new jobs being created in thesuburbsand they often can't afford to move towhere the jobs are. To make things worse, manybetter-off suburbs shut out low-income peoplethrough zoning codes that prevent affordablehousing from being built in their neighborhoods.Whether it is intended to or not, these things createmore racial and economic segregation.

VIEW 5We're putting the environment at risk.As development speeds up, our community isputting greater pressure on the environment. Theurban area is sprawling out into the surroundingfarmlands and open areas, pushing out wildlife.

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Roads, parking lots, and storm drains cover landthat was once able to soak up water to replenish theground water and prevent flooding. Runoff frompavement and chemically treated lawns adds towater pollution problems. More cars on the roadsare polluting the air. Our community seems to begrowing in ways that make this a less healthy andpleasant place to live.

VIEW 6Newcomers are improving the community.Some people like to complain about newcomerschanging the way things "have always been," butour community has become a better place withthese changes. New businesses and more servicesare available. More parents are active in schoolaffairs. Community activities such as theater, townfestivals, and civic clubs have received a boost ofnew energy. This feels like a more vibrant, activeplace to live than it did before.

VIEW 7Some people are feeling economic pressure.Parts of our town are booming, but not everyone issharing in the benefits. People who have lived andworked here for a long time, such as senior citizensand families that depend on local jobs for theirlivelihoods, are getting shut out of the housing mar-ket by rising prices. And much of the new economicdevelopmentlike the big retail stores at the edgeof townaren't creating the kind of full-time jobswith good wages and benefits that are going to helplocals continue to live here.

VIEW 8New and traditional lifestyles conflict.People are moving to our community because theylike the lifestyle it offers. But many of these new-comers are discovering that they don't like some ofthe traditional aspects of life here. For example,some people who move into homes near workingfarms complain to local authorities about the smellof manure or dairy cows, noisy farm equipmentrunning at night, or the use of pesticides. Long-timeresidents fear their way of life is being threatened asthese sorts of situations create growing frictionamong neighbors.

1 0SMART TALK FOlt GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSION 1 5

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VIEW 9Public services are strained.As more and more people move to our commun4local government is having a hard time keeping upwith all the demand for public services. Schools areovercrowded and underfunded. The police and firedepartments are short on staff and can't alwaysprovide the best protection. And it's not just thegrowing areas that feel the pinch. The wholecommunity suffers as funds for building and main-taining roads across town are stretched thin, andcommunity sewage treatment systems and watersupplies are strained.

PART 3 Wrapping up (30 minutes)

What did you learn from this meeting? What newinsights did you get from listening to others?

What are one or two things you would most liketo change about this community? What wouldyou like to keep the same?

PREP E FOR SESSION 2

During the next session, you'll explore why yourcommunity is experiencing the changes you talkedabout in today's discussion. Between now and thenext session:

Pay attention to the different perspectives in yourcommunity about growth issues:

What do your family members, friends, andneighbors think about how the communityis changing?

What's being covered in the media?

Take a closer look at the growth and developmentthat is happening in your community:

What kinds of growth and development doyou see happening?

What do you particularly like? Especially dislike?

1 16 SMART TALK FoR GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSION /

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An opti&rial exercise. or _kilt* discussion and personal expl6ralilo'n;w.

BEING MINDFUL OF OUR SURROUNDINGSan

friany people learn best through experi-ence. Here is one way for you to useyour own experiences to bring new

insights into your study circle.Author Tony Hiss believes that the look

and feel of our everyday surroundings affecteach of us more than we realize. He saysit's important to be aware of how our com-munities are growing and changing becausethose changes deeply affect each of us. Wemay feel these changes in our health andhappiness, our sense of safety, the kind ofwork we get done, how we interact withother people, and how we participate incommunity life.

Paying attention to our own experiencesas we move through our communities eachday is a first step in understanding how wereact to our surroundings. This understandingcan help us change our communities in waysthat work for all of us.

AN EXERCISE FOR PAYING ATTENTIONTO OUR DAILY EXPERIENCES

Think about one of your favorite placeswithin walking or driving distance fromwhere you live or work. Better yet, go there.Pay attention to what you experience there.

How do you get in touch with what you'reexperiencing? That's easy! Tony Hiss pointsout that (even though we don't usually payattention to it) all of our minds are wired upwith special circuits that deeply drink in allthe sights, sounds, tastes and other sensa-tions flowing into us at all timesa processhe calLs 'simultaneous perception: We usethis information to stay in touch, at verydeep levels, with other human beings andthe rest of creation. And we can deliberatelyget in touch with this process any time we

have the time to relax and take in our sur-roundings without hurry. As you relax, justtry to give equal attention to what your eyesare seeing, your ears hearing, your nosesniffing, and your skin feeling. At thatmoment, ask yourself:

Questions about your experience()How do I feel being here?

0What is this place like? Do I noticespecific sights, sounds, or smells?

0What elseother than what immediatelydraws my attentionam I aware of?

0 Do I tend to move quickly or slowlythrough this place? How does my experi-ence change as I walk or drive through it?

Questions about how your experiencehas changed over timeo Is my experience here different during

the daytime, at night, on a weekday, aweekend, a holiday?

OIs my experience different than it usedto be? How?

0 Do I come here less often than I used to?More often? Why?

OIs anything likely to happen to this placethat will change what I can experiencehere?

You may want to do this exercise severaltimes during the weeks that your study circlemeets. You can also use the questions tohelp you be more aware of everyday experi-ences. You'll find that you have new ideasand insights to share in your discussions.

Adapted with permission from Tony Hiss,The Experience of Place: A new way of looking atand dealing with our radically changing cities andcountryside. New York: Vintage Books, 1991.

12SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSION I 7

FACILITATOR TIPS

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Why Is Our CommunityExperiencing These Changes?

O Break the session into three parts. Use the amountof time suggested for each as a guide.

O Post the notes from Session 1 where everyone cansee them. If you're short on space, at least put upthe notes from Part 3 of the discussion. This waswhere people shared their new insights about growthand their hopes for the community's future.

O Remember to take notes so you can refer to them inlater sessions.

TO START PART 2

* Ask a few members of your study circle tovolunteer to read each view out loud.

ORAsk members to read the views to themselves.

After reading the views, ask some of the "Questionsto think about" listed below.

1\ s communities grow in different ways, peo-\ pie often disagree about why these changes. - \_are happening. Discussing that question is

an important step in creating a shared understand-ing of the problems and opportunities of growth.That shared understanding provides the ground-work for effective solutions that enjoy broad supportand commitment.

PART 1 Reflecting on what we'relearning (30 minutes)

Since our last meeting, did you have a chance totalk to family members, friends, or neighbors tofind out how they feel about the changes thecommunity is going through? What concerns, ifany, do they have about the way growth anddevelopment are taking place?Did you have a chance to look around the com-munity? What did you see? What did you like mostabout what you saw? What did you like least?

PART 2 Why are these changeshappening? (60 minutes)

Each of the following views offers a different answerto the question, "Why is our community experienc-ing this kind of growth?" Each is written in the voiceof a person who holds that perspective. Use theseviews as a starting point for your discussion and fordeveloping your own thoughts.

8 SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSION 2

VIEWS

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT WHENDISCUSSING THE VIEWS

LI Which view is closest to your own? Why? What ev-

periences and beliefs have helped form your views?

O Think about a view you don't agree with. Whatmight lead someone else to agree with that view?

O What points of view would you like to add?

VIEW 1More Americans can choose whereand how they live.It's only natural for people to choose to live andwork in places that provide more elbow room. Morepeople are moving to outer suburbs, small towns,and rural areas because new technologies like faxmachines, computers, and the Internet make it pos-sible to work away from central offices. Malls andlarge one-stop shopping centers make it cheaperand more convenient for people with busy sched-ules to obtain goods and services. If people nolonger feel the need to go downtown to work andshop, who's to say that's a bad thing? These patternsof development may look and feel unfamiliar, butthey're not necessarily bad. They're just different.

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VIEW 2Efforts to manage growth make things worse.Our community's development is shaped in largepart by the rules that local government sets. Localplanning efforts have not kept up with (much lessanticipated and creatively dealt with) the kinds ofgrowth that have come our way. In fact, they usuallycost more than projected and provide fewer bene-fits. On top of that, they often make the situationworse than it was before. Attempts to managegrowth are more likely to cost taxpayers a lot ofmoney than they are to solve congestion, pollution,and other problems. A big part of the trouble is thatthe average citizen has been pushed out of localplanning. The process tends to be controlled bynarrow interests that don't have the whole commu-nity in mind.

VIEW 3Our daily personal choices create problems.Each one of us makes personal choices that createthe patterns of development our community isexperiencing. We abandon our towns and cities forhomes in the suburbs, making a self-fulfillingprophecy of our feelings that central cities are dan-gerous, poor, and badly managed. We drive miles tosave pennies on toothpaste or deodorant at thesuper-discount drug store, instead of taking a fewminutes to walk to the corner store. We insist onusing our cars, even when public transportation isreadily available. And we vote against local propertytaxes that are needed to help our schools and otherpublic services keep up with the demands createdby new growth.

VIEW 4We don't consider the enviromnent.Too many communities are willing to allow growththat is harmful to the environment. In debates aboutspecific development proposals, environmentalconcerns often seem less urgent and less importantthan economic concerns. And it's easy for communi-ties to say that this little bit of water pollution or thislittle piece of wildlife habitat doesn't matter much.But they all add up. The bottom line is that we arenot willing to restrict growth in the short term, evento assure the long-term health of the environmentand the well-being of future generations.

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VIEW 5Government policies promote particulartypes of growth.Public policies are biased toward particular types ofgrowth. These deeply rooted biases help createproblems such as sprawl, traffic congestion, and amismatch between where workers can afford to liveand where they can find jobs. For example:V Too many state and federal dollars go to building

new roads instead of investing in public trans-portation. These roads encourage people tospend more time in their cars and to developareas farther and farther out of town.

V Taxes, service charges, and environmental regula-tions can make it difficult to renovate buildingsor old industrial sites in already-developed areas.Often, businesses find it easier to build on unde-veloped land.

V Local government zoning codes can make it diffi-cult for working class people to find affordablehousing near the many new jobs being created inthe booming suburbs. Examples of these codesinclude requirements that homes be a certain sizeor have two-car garages.

PART 3 Identifying priority issues(30 minutes)

When you think back on this discussion and onSession 1, what seem to be the most importantissues for the community to address? Whichaspects of growth concern us most?

If your list could have only one or two issues on it,which ones would you pick? Why?

PREPARE FOR SESSION 3

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During the next session, you'll start talking abouthow your community can make progress on its mostimportant growth issues. Between now and the nextsession, pay attention to who's doing what toaddress the challenges of growth:

What's in the news?What's already happening in your community?How are people talking about new approaches ordifferent policies?What are other towns and cities doing?

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What Are Our Options ForAddressing Growth Issues?

FACILITATOR TIPS

O Break the session into three parts. Use the amountof time suggested for each as a guide.

O Post the notes from the earlier sessions where every-one can see them. If you're short on space, at leastput up the notes from Part 3 of Session 2, whereparticipants identified the most important growthissues facing their community.

O Remember to take notes so you can refer to them inlater sessions.

TO START PART 2

0 Ask a few members of your study circle to volunteerto read each approach out loud.OR

0 Ask members to read the approaches to themselves.

0 To make sure that all the approaches are considered,ask the "Questions to think about" listed below,after reading the approaches.

0 To explore one approach in more depth, use thequestions that accompany each one.

Communities across the country are address-ing growth issues in many ways. This sessionhelps you explore some general approaches

your community might take.

PART 1 Our community's future(10 minutes)

In this part, you will focus on this question:

What are one or two qualities that you most wantthis community to have?

Qualities may be characteristics your communityalready has, or they may be qualities that would benew to the community or that could be strengthened.

Your facilitator may lead the group in a brain-storm to get a lot of ideas out. In a brainstorm, thereare no right or wrong answers. People can ask ques-tions to help clarify someone's idea, but criticizingor contradicting is not allowed. Each person has achance to offer one or two qualities. One personwrites all the ideas where everyone can see them.

PART 2 Options for our community(90 minutes)

Beginning on page 11, you will find examples ofapproaches that other communities and govern-ments are using to address growth issues. Pleasekeep in mind that they reflect different points ofview about the causes and effects of growth, and

10 SMART TALK FoR GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSION3

different ideas about the best way to address growthissues. These approaches also can suggest new ideasfor your community.

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT WHENDISCUSSING THE APPROACHES

CI Which approaches appeal to us and why? What

concerns or doubts do we have about them?

El Are nearby communities using innovative

approaches that seem appealing?

ID What approach seems likely to take our community

in the direction we want to go?

To explore one approach in more depth, use thequestions that accompany each one.


Many study circles invite one or more public offi-cials to join them for Session 4. These questions willhelp you prepare for the next session:

What are the most important things to talk aboutwith public officials?

What are our hopes and concerns for thecommunity when it comes to growth?

Which strategies seem promising to address ourconcerns? Why?

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Action Approaches From Other Places

APPROACH 1

Use incentives and regulations to guide growth

New development can strain public services like roads and schools, and threaten farmland, open spaceand other things that people value. Citizens often turn to government to protect the good of the wholecommunity when they see that happening. Some local government leaders are using creative waysto direct new development to areas that can handle its demands. Moreover, many state and federalagencies are using incentives and regulations to help guide growth at the local level.

EXAMPLES

o Channeling government funds to areas targeted forgrowth. The State of Maryland has a "Smart Growth"law. It helps communities focus development inexisting town centers and other "Smart GrowthAreas." State funds will be largely restricted to theseareas. That includes money for roads and highways,business and economic development, school con-struction and renovation, and housing.

0 Focusing development on old industrial sites andother unused urban land. The city of Chicagoencourages development on "brownfields"landthat has been contaminated by past activity such asdry cleaning or manufacturing. The city buys aban-doned land, pays for the cleanup, and sells the landat low prices to interested developers. New taxrevenues from developing the land pay for the

QUESTIONS

investment in cleanup. The U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency and many states also have pro-grams to support this kind of redevelopment.

0 Charging higher impact fees for development thattakes place outside the city center. The city ofLancaster, California, charges new developments afee that helps cover the cost of city services such aslaw enforcement and street cleaning. The feeincreases with the distance from the city center.

0 Restricting new urban development to a definablearea. Portland, Oregon, has one of the best knownexamples of an "urban growth boundary," which wasput into place 20 years ago. Inside the boundarynew development is allowed. Outside the boundary,the land is zoned for farms and forests.

1. Do enough people agree on what our commu-nity should look like for this kind of approachto work? Where would we want to see develop-ment directed?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages torelying on government to direct growth?

3. What effects might this approach have on you,personally? On the ability of people who ownland to make their own decisions about howthe land should be used? On our community'sability to grow?

4. Many proposals for directing growth say weshould increase density in certain areas whilekeeping it down in others. What might this looklike in our community? Examples include:

Building townhomes in a neighborhood ofsingle-family homes

Allowing people to rent out apartments intheir basements or above garages

* Building high-rise apartment buildings

Designing a development with half-acrerather than three-acre lots

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APPROACH 2

Take charge of our economic future

People who live in growing communities often feel out of control, as if nothing they do will make anydifference. But many communities are being innovative about drawing on their own resources to protectwhat's important to them. These locally oriented and controlled approaches expand the community'scontrol over its own development and economic decisions. Often individuals, community groups, andbusinesses take the leadbut government also can be involved.

EXAMPLES

0 Creating a community land trust to keep housingaffordable. In Burlington, Vermont, a nonprofit trustholds land for the benefit of the community. It helpsarrange financing so low- and moderate-incomefamilies can buy or rent the housing that sits on itsland. In this way, the trust enables owners or tenantsto rent or buy homes without worrying about risingland prices. It also works with commercial land andbuildings.

0 Building the "home grown" economy. In the SeaIslands of Georgia and South Carolina, an educationorganization called the Penn Center is working withislanders to strengthen the local economy and staveoff the pressures of development. A folk-art centerteaches local arts like quilting and sea-grass basket

QUESTIONS

weaving and helps artisans sell their work.Other projects include a facility to process locallygrown produce and a community developmentcorporation.

0 Investing resources back into the community.Community loan funds, for example, can create along-term source of funding for housing rehabilita-tion, business start-up, and other projects. A $20,000loan from a community loan fund enabled a com-munity development corporation (CDC) in Dallas,Texas, to purchase 40 houses that were slated fordemolition. Building on that purchase, the CDC hasbeen able to buy, renovate, and lease 50 housingunits to families earning less than $12,000 per year.

1. What goals would we work toward if we tookthis approach? Do enough people agree onwhat's good for our community to make thisapproach work? Do we have resources tobuild on?

2. Is this approach likely to assure our communi-ty's well-being in the face of the growth we'reexperiencing?

112 SMART TALK FOR G ROWING COMMUNUIES SESSION 3

3. How would our community change if we usedour own resources to make sure that communi-ty members have access to basicsthingslike secure and rewarding jobs, living wages,affordable housing, child care, and a healthyenvironment? Could we make a difference withthis kind of approach?

4. What effects might this approach have onyour own life? On your feelings about thecommunity?

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APPROACH 3

Build regional cooperation

Growth seldom affects only one community at a time. In many metropolitan areas, the urban core oftensuffers while newer suburbs on the fringe grow and thrive. In other places, efforts to manage growth areoverwhelmed by development outside city limits. Other communities find that their plans for growthconflict with the surrounding county's approach. When more than one community is involved, soloefforts to deal with growth issues are not usually successful. Instead, communities are forging alliancesin broader regions or creating regional governing bodies. Other communities are working together on aless formal basis.

EXAMPLES

0 Creating a coalition of business, civic, and govern-ment leaders. In the Cleveland, Ohio, area, publicofficials from the city and close-in suburbs haveteamed up to create the "First Suburbs Consortium."The consortium is also supported by community,church, and business leaders. It is pushing forchanges in state and federal policies that encouragesuburban sprawl in the region and add to the prob-lems of the declining urban center.

0 Pooling tax resources. The city of Pittsburgh andother local governments in southwesternPennsylvania joined together to create the AlleghenyRegional Asset District. The district collects fundsfrom a local sales tax and distributes the money tothe 128 cities and towns in the region. The money is

QUESTIONS

used for libraries, parks, sports facilities, and culturalorganizations. It is also used to reduce propertytaxes and provide tax relief for senior citizens. Poorercommunities receive more revenue from this taxpool than do wealthier communities.

0 Working together on land-use planning. TheCuyahoga Valley Communities Council was formedby eleven communities bordering the CuyahogaValley National Recreation Area in Ohio. The councilhas established voluntary guidelines for develop-ment along the park boundary. Most of the townshave changed their zoning codes to reflect theseguidelines, and landowners and developers usuallygo along with the council's recommendations.

1. Are the benefits and costs of growth the samefor everyone in our area? If not, what differ-ences do we see?

2. Do the communities in this area see them-selves as being part of a larger region? Do wehave any experiences with working togetheras a region?

3. Does looking at growth regionally make sensefor our community? Why or why not?

4. Should communities (or parts of a community)that are doing well take responsibility for help-ing neighboring areas that are less fortunate?Why or why not?

5. How might working regionally affect ourcommunity?What changes might we see in ourcommunity's ability to make its own decisionsabout growth issues?

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APPROACH 4

Generate citizen energy and vision

There's one sure thing about growth: it can cause divisions in a community People often engage in "usversus them" arguments when controversial proposals come up. But once a particular controversy diesdown, many people stop participating in community affairs. Getting more citizens to be involvedand to stay involvedis an important part of many communities' efforts to prevent flare-ups and moveforward together on growth issues. The change is usually started by citizens who share a concern aboutwhat's happening to the community It often begins with an opportunity for community members tocome together to talk about their concerns and hopes for the future.

EXAMPLES

0 Getting people talking about the future. In RedLodge, Montana, several citizens convened a com-munity workshop. During the two-day meeting,residents talked about the kind of community theywant Red Lodge to be. They identified priorities foraction and formed citizen working groups to workon the ideas that came out of the workshop.

0 Mobilizing existing groups. The Chamber ofCommerce, neighborhood associations, churchcongregations, or senior citizen groups can bestrong voices for your community's quality of life. InAshland, Wisconsin, realtors distribute informationpackets to purchasers of waterfront property. The

QUESTIONS

packets help new owners reduce their impacts onthe loons that breed and nest in the area's lakesand islands.

0 Making an inventory of local resources and trends.A resort was developed at the mineral springs forwhich the town of Hot Springs, North Carolina,was named. The town council appointed a commit-tee to study the town's options for dealing with thegrowth that was expected to follow. The committeebegan its work by surveying residents and holdingpublic forums to identify the town's most importantscenic, historic, and cultural resources.

1. How would taking this approach help usaddress our community's specific concernsabout growth? Is it likely to work quicklyenough to get ahead ofor even keep upwiththe pace of growth and its effects onour community?

2. Will we be able to translate the energy andvision of citizens into meaningful changes?

3. Do we think people will participate? Howwould each of us, personally, be willing to par-ticipate in a citizen-driven effort? What effectmight other responsibilities or desires havefor example our families, jobs, recreation,schooling, and so on?


4. How would our lives be different if our com-munity took this approach?Would we haveresponsibilities that we don't have now?

5. What effect would taking this approach haveon the ability of local government to do its job?

19

)0000000000000000000000Action Approaches From Other Places

APPROACH 5

Reduce our dependence on government to manage growth

Local and regional governments often take the lead in planning for and controlling growth. But somecommunities aren't willing to give government more authority to tell people how and where to live.Other communities are not convinced that the usual approaches are the most effective or efficient waysto deal with growth problems. Instead, they are achieving community goals by using the market, and byencouraging individuals and businesses to take the initiative.

EXAMPLES

o Making public transit a private business. Manycities have created public transportation systemsthat are expensive and under-used. Some cities aresaving money and improving service by deregulatingmass transit. That way, private operators cancompete with the local public transit agency. Forexample, in the San Gabriel Valley of California, busservice is competitively contracted out. Since thisbegan, more people are riding the buses and thelocal government is saving money.

0 Allowing neighborhoods to control land use. MostU.S. cities have zoning codes that restrict certaintypes of buildings to specific areas. Houston, Texas,is an exception. There, property owners make thedecisions that affect the value of the land in eachneighborhood. Usually the decisions are made by

QUESTIONS

community or homeowners associations, or by sub-division developers. They often use deed restrictionsto control what can or cannot be done on a propertyThese restrictions are recorded on the property deedand passed on from owner to owner.

0 Building public schools with private funds. InCastro Valley, California, the developer of a largesubdivision built an elementary school and donatedit to the local school district. In return, the usual$1,500 charge for school fees was waived on each ofthe 1,700 units in the subdivision. The developersaved money and at the same time, offered the statea lesson in how to reduce school construction costsand time. The school building was completed in justsix months, and it cost 35 percent less than it wouldhave if the state had built it.

1. How is government action affecting the wayour community is growing? Is it contributing tothe problems we're experiencing? Is it helpingsolve or avoid problems?

2. Does it make sense to rely on government tomanage growth? Why or why not?

3. What benefits might come from relying moreon individual initiative, responsibility, and cre-ativity to shape our community's development?What might the downsides be?

4. Who is likely to benefit from relying less ongovernment to guide growth decisions?

5. What affect would this approach have on ourcommunity's ability to plan for its future?

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APPROACH 6

Build momentum with a single issue

Communities face a big challenge just to start work on growth issues. The issues often seem too complexto understand or too overwhelming to address. One way to begin is to focus on a single issue that grabsthe public's attention and is ripe for generating action. If the community makes progress on that issue,people become aware of other growth-related issues and help create energy for community action.

EXAMPLES

0 Tackling traffic congestion. One way to ease trafficheadaches is to make it easier for people to live nearwhere they work and do their errands. In the Seattlearea, Key Bank offered employees the opportunityto take jobs at branches closer to where they live.This project reduced commute length and made iteasier for people to use other ways of getting towork. Other communities are changing zoningcodes so that offices, shops, and homes can bemixed together.

o Challenging specific proposals. Wal-Mart had toadapt its plans for its first store in Vermont. Thecompany bowed to community pressure againstlarge box stores on the outskirts of Bennington.Wal-Mart set up shop in a renovated departmentstore downtown.

QUESTIONS

El Bringing new life to town centers. Restoring atown's historic character can tempt businesses andresidents to reconsider their plans to move to thesuburbs. In Hot Springs, Arkansas, the city workedwith Hot Springs National Park to renovate a six-block downtown area next to the park's bathhouses.Hot Springs created historic preservation guidelinesfor the district and raised $500,000 through atemporary sales tax to help fund the renovations.Both the National Park Service and the state ofArkansas contributed matching funds.

1. Is there a starting point, such as a specificissue, that makes sense for our community?Why? (In some communities, focusing on waterquality or supply makes sense. In others, thestarting point might be affordable housing,schools, dying downtowns, or preservingopen space.)

2. Do most people agree on the importance ofany one issue? Is there enough agreement tospark and sustain action?

16 SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSION3

3. How would taking on this issue help us addressthe larger issues of growth in our community?

4. Is our community likely to get wrapped up inendless debates about this one issue that willdistract us from the larger issues that growthraises?

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FACILITATOR TIPS

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Meeting WithPublic Officials

0 This session should have the same reasonable,respectful tone as the other sessions. You are simplyexpanding the study circle discussion to includepublic officials.

O For tips on structuring the dialogue, see page 34.

O Because of the unique dynamics of this session, youmay need to work extra hard to keep the discussion

on track. Make sure that everyone follows theground rules.

O Break this session into three parts. Use the questionsand suggested time limits noted for each part toguide your discussion.

O Remember to take notes so you can refer to them inSession 5.

Hn this session, you will meet with public offi-cials. You may choose to meet with local or stateelected officials, or with your congressional rep-

resentative or senator. Or you may decide to invitestaff from local, state, or federal government depart-ments. If your study circle is part of a community-wide program, you will want to include participantsfrom other study circles, too.

Working on issues related to growth requirescooperation from throughout the community andfrom different levels of government. You can buildthis cooperation by listening to how public officialsand other community members see the issues andwhat needs to be done.

PART 1 Preparing to meet with publicofficials (30 minutes)

Your study circle should take time to prepare for themeeting with public officials. It is especially impor-tant to do so if your study circle is part of a largercommunity-wide program. Spend some timereflecting on earlier discussions. Everyone needs toknow what to expect and be able to express theviews of the whole community.

The ground rules listed above right address someof the problems that come up when citizens andpublic officials meet together. Add them to theground rules you have been using in earlier ses-sions. Make changes to the list as you see fit.

Review what you have already discussed in yourstudy circle by using the focus questions on page18. They will guide your meeting.

We agree to:

0 Have a give-and-take discussion. We do notlecture or "sell" our point of view.

0 Let everyone look at all sides of an issue.No one has to have an instant answer.

0 Keep the discussion focused on the issue.

0 Allow the news media to attend the meet-ing only if we all agree. Comments duringthe meeting are "off the record" and not tobe used in the media.

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PART 2 lalldng with public officials(60-75 minutes)

When the public officials join your meeting, reviewthe ground rules again and see if anyone, includingthe public officials, wants to add anything to the list.Then, to get the discussion going, two or three peo-ple should share what they have learned from thestudy circles so far. Keep these comments brief andrelated to the focus questions. This will help keeppeople relaxed and on track.

Next, open up the discussion so everyone canparticipate by sharing their own ideas and askingeach other questions. Use the focus questions toguide the talk.

PART 3 Wrapping up (15-30 minutes)

To close the meeting, spend some time reflecting onwhat you have learned from each other during thediscussion. Make sure that everyone gets a chanceto speak.


By the end of this session, you may have a clearersense of the possibilities and challenges yourcommunity has in addressing issues related togrowth. Between now and the next meeting, youmight want to:

Read "What Can One Person Do?" and "WhatCan Our Community Do?" in Session 5, pages20-22. They provide ideas for action.

Think about what you can do on your ownand what you can do with othersto movetoward the kind of future you want for yourcommunity.


FOCUS QUESTIONS

I What are our hopes and concerns for thecommunity when it comes to growth?

2 What are the most promising ideas forchange? Why?

3 What questions or doubts do we haveabout these ideas?

4 How can government help our communityrealize our hopes and address our con-cerns about growth?

5 What questions do we have for ourpublic officials? Why are these questionsimportant?

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FACILITATOR TIPS

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Shaping The Future: WhatCan We Do In Our Community?

0 Break this session into four parts.Use the questions and suggestedtime limits noted for each part toguide your discussion. (Be sure toleave time for the questions in Part4. It is important for people to talkabout what the study circle hasmeant to them.)

0 Post the notes from earliersessions where everyone can seethem. If you're short on space, atleast put up the notes from Part 3of Session 4. This was the discus-sion about what participants learnedduring the conversation with publicofficials.

0 The group is Likely to come up witha variety of actions on different lev-els. Participants should feel free tochoose their own paths, so be sureto emphasize that taking action isvoluntary.

0 Review "Organizing for Action," onpage 31, for more tips on how tomake the most of participants' ideasfor action.

To

0

0

start Part 2Divide participants into groups ofthree or four. Ask each group tolook over the action ideas andexamples and use them to sparktheir own thinking. (See "ActionIdeas," page 20.) Each group shouldspend 15 minutes or so identifyingtwo or three action ideas theywould like to pursue.ORAsk participants to take a few min-utes to look over the action ideasand examples.

After reading the action ideas, asksome of the questions provided tostart the discussion.

Flpowns and cities that are grappling with growthare finding that everyone needs to be part ofthe solution to community problems. Broad

public involvement is an important part of makingthe community a genuinely good place to live.

You have already engaged in a form of action bycoming together to learn from each other and shareideas. Finding ways to keep talking and includemore people from the community is a very goodnext step. Study circles often lead to action groupsin which some people decide to put their ideas fromthe study circles into action.

This session will help you think about actionsthat address the issues you have discussed in earlierstudy circle sessions.

PART 1 Reflecting on our meeting withofficials (15 minutes)

What did we learn from our conversation withofficeholders?What new questions or concerns came up? Whatnew opportunities do we see?

PART 2 Thinldng together about how wecan make a difference (45 minutes)

Think about actions you can take individually, andactions that need the broader community involved.Look over the action ideas, which begin on page 20,to spark your thinking.

1. Think back to the issues and concerns discussedin our study circle. What would you most like tosee people in our community work on? Why?

2. What can you, personally, do to make a differ-ence? Why is this action important to you?

3. What actions might our community take?Whatideas from other communities seem promising?Why do you think these actions will help makeour community a better place to live?

4. What efforts are already going on in our commu-nity to address these issues? What are individu-als, businesses, community organizations,government, and other groups doing?

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PART 3 Setting priorities for action(45 minutes)

Now, decide how to begin organizing for action, andhow to prepare for an action forum.

1. What two or three ideas seem most practical anduseful?

2. How can we turn these ideas into reality? Whatkinds of information, support, or help do weneed in order to take these steps?

3. What resources are already in place that couldhelp us move ahead? Where is our communityalready strong?

4. Who could be involved? How can we reachthem? What resources can we tap outside thecommunity?

5. What is our next step?

6. Will we be meeting with other study circles toshare ideas for action? If so, what ideas do wewant to present?

PART 4 Reflecting on our study circle(15 minutes)

What new insights have you gained by participat-ing in this study circle? What has made the biggestimpact on how you think about growth? on youractions in the community?

What did you find most valuable about the studycircle?

What worked well in your discussions? Whatdidn't work very well? What changes would yousuggest for future study circles?


ACTION IDEASVJINhese ideas reflect different views about growthissues. Use them as a resource to jump-startyour own thinking. For example, ask yourself

which action steps best fit your views about growthand its effect on your community.

WHAT CAN ONE PERSON DO?

Sometimes it seems that one person can't do muchto make a difference in the community. But every-thing that happens is built on individual actions,and each person's actions do matter! These individ-ual actions can help your community grow into aplace you are proud to call home.

O Be active in neighborhood and communitygroups. These grassroots organizations can helpyour community take charge of its future andmake a big difference in people's lives.

O When you vote, think about what you want yourcommunity to look like over the long term.Consider your community's future when youdecide how you feel about issues like bonds forpurchasing open space, zoning changes, devel-opment impact fees, privatizing bus service, orregional government cooperation. Learn whatthese proposals might mean for your community.

O Express your thoughts. Write letters to the editor,communicate with your public officials, talkabout growth issues with neighbors, friends, fam-ily, and co-workers. Keep the dialogue and thelearning going. Continue your study circle.

O Be an involved citizen. Participate in publicmeetings on growth and related issues. Volunteerfor citizen task forces. Join in community vision-ing efforts and follow-up actions.

O Pay attention to how you travel around yourcommunity. Think about how the forms of trans-portation you use affect your community, andyour own feelings about where you live and howyou spend your time. If you want to make a

25

change, you might look into other forms oftransportation, flexible working arrangementsthat cut down on the need to commute, andother ways of reducing your need to travelaround.

CI Support public officials when they take a con-structive approach to resolving growth issues.Be a part of a constituency that supports movingtoward your community's highest aspirations.

El Consider the future of the community when youmake business decisions. Think about the effectsof the decisions that you make about your ownproperty and investments. Where will you locateyour business? Can you hire and purchase local-ly? Shouldor how shouldyou develop a pieceof land? Where will you live in relationship towhere you work? Will you renovate an historicbuilding?

WHAT CAN OUR COMMUNITY DO?

The approaches outlined in Session 3 offer exam-ples of what communities across the country aredoing to make growth work for them. The followingideas might spark new ideas about the kinds ofactions your community could take.

Cl Decide what's important to protect andpromote. Some communities in Iowa, for exam-ple, use "corn suitability" ratings to guide zoningand planning decisions so the best farmland isprotected. In Los Angeles, the city and the L.A.Metropolitan Transit Authority are workingtogether to cut down on sprawl and traffic con-gestion by encouraging high density develop-ment around transit stations.

El Preserve open space. Use conservation ease-ments to provide a financial incentive for ownersnot to develop their land. Pass bond issues or alocal sales tax for purchasing open space andpark land. Some state governments and federalagencies make money available to local govern-ments and private land trusts to protect farm andforest land, natural areas, and other open space.

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In the Chicago area, local and state governmentsand nongovernmental organizations are workingtogether to create a regionwide network of linkedopen spaces.

CI Change zoning codes to reflect your community'sgoals. For example, you might decide to removezoning codes that require new developments toprovide off-street parking. This change could cutthe cost of new housing developments, let themarket decide how much parking space to pro-vide and how to pay for it, and help make yourcommunity friendlier for pedestrians and alter-native transportation. In Portland, Oregon, arecent permit for a downtown low-income hous-ing development waived the requirement toprovide off-street parking. That waiver cut about$10,000 from the construction cost of eachapartment.

CI Link housing with other community issues.Residents of Eastside Community in Indiana-polis, Indiana, organized a community develop-ment corporation to obtain private funding for acommunity housing project. The group repairedold homes and sold them for a profit. Thisrevenue was used to make investments insmall, locally owned businesses and to build anindustrial park. The first loan made by the NewHampshire Community Loan Fund in Concordenabled a group of 13 families to buy the mobilehome park where they lived. This purchase keptthe land from being developed into high-pricedcondominiums.

CI Charge road-use fees to reduce traffic on con-gested highways. Making the fee highest duringrush hour and very low or nothing at nightencourages people to find other ways to getwhere they're going, especially during the busiesttimes. This "congestion pricing" is being used bya private road company in Orange County,California. The company built a two-lane high-way paralleling a crowded freeway. People usingthe highway must buy radio transponders thatsend out signals picked up at toll areas along

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the road. The toll is either charged to theuser's credit card or deducted from a prepaidamount. Highway users are willing to pay for theconvenience and speed of driving on this less-crowded road.

CI Organize to challenge a specific proposal. Whenlocal officials approved plans for a large shoppingmall and office complex next to ManassasNational Battlefield Park in Virginia, communitymembers created a broad-based coalition of CivilWar buffs, veterans groups, landowners, andconservationists from the area. This local groupreached out across the country with their cam-paign, "Save the Battlefield." In less than a year,Congress added the land to the park.

CI Strengthen neighborhoods. Especially in urbanareas, strong neighborhoods are the buildingblocks of a healthy community Communitydevelopment corporations in Chicago have takenthe lead in renovating housing in urban neigh-borhoods, developing industrial and commercialreal estate, and marketing the neighborhoods'advantages. One neighborhood organizationturned an old auto parts warehouse into a smallbusiness incubator where new businesses sharetechnical support and office equipment. Oncebusinesses have outgrown their need for theincubator, they are encouraged to continue to dobusiness in the neighborhood.

El Get neighbors talking. A group of six ranchingfamilies near Steamboat Springs, Colorado, gottogether to talk about how to protect their ranch-es from encroaching development. They endedup putting conservation easements on 2,800acres of land.

CI Help community members stay ahead of therising cost of living. Support efforts to reducethe taxes and regulations that may make it diffi-cult for companies to invest profitably in yourcommunity. For example, the city government ofIndianapolis, Indiana, created a Regulatory StudyCommission to eliminate outdated and counter-productive rules that were stifling economic

22 SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSIONS

development. Another approach is to start alocal currency system, such as those begun byMadison, Wisconsin, Ithaca, New York, andBozeman, Montana. Local currency allowspeople to trade skills, services, and products forcurrency that allows them to buy what they wantfrom other community members and many localmerchants.

0 Reach beyond the traditional "movers andshakers" to develop a broad base of energy andsupport. In Maryville, Tennessee, the nonprofitFoothills Land Conservancy raised $1.3 million tobuy a large tract of land at the edge of the GreatSmoky Mountains National Park. Media appealsand a color brochure helped convince more than3,300 peopleincluding 100 school and youthgroupsto donate money for protecting thisland from development.

LI Create ways for officials from different levels ofgovernment to exchange information and buildbetter working relationships. Public officialsfrom Mohave County Arizona, began conveningforums that bring together officials from localgovernments, state and federal agencies, andIndian tribes. The forums have resulted in coop-erative agreements among governments and thepassage of a new state law giving the countymore authority to manage growth.

CI Strengthen the local economy to buffer theeffects of growth. In Durham, North Carolina, theCenter for Community Self-Help started a creditunion and loan fund with $77 raised by a bakesale. Among other services, the center and itsrelated financial institutions (which have growntremendously since the bake sale days) provideassistance and loans for starting worker-ownedbusinesses.

27

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Affordable housingHomes or apartments that most people living in an areacan afford to purchase or rent. Governments often defineit as housing that someone can afford who makes acertain percentage of the area's median incomeoftenaround 70 percent. In many communities, the issue ofaffordable housing centers on three questions: Doemployees of local businesses have convenient access tohousing they can afford? Can long-standing local resi-dents like senior citizens remain in their communities?Will housing remain affordable over the long term?

Alternative transportationMethods of travel other than car. These methods includepublic transit such as rail, bus, and subway, and individ-ual modes such as bicycling and walking. Sometimescommuter van services and carpooling are consideredalternative transportation because they offer an alterna-tive to single-passenger commuting.

Bond financingLong-term financing used by local governments. Bondsare sold to investors and must be paid back, with interest,usually over a period of ten or twenty years. They canbe used to finance many community projects such asschools, open space preservation, libraries, and firestations.

BrownfieldsUnused, often abandoned, properties that have beencontaminated by previous use. Many brownfield sites canbe restored to levels acceptable for commercial or indus-trial use. They are also attractive to developers becausebrownfields are usually served by roads, water, and sewer.However, liability concerns often keep developers andbusinesses from using this land.

Community development corporations (CDC)Community-based organizations that work on issuesranging from revitalizing neighborhoods and commercialareas to cultural activities and job training. They can becontrolled by the community's residents, often throughmembership, but sometimes through a confederation ofother community organizations that band together tocreate the CDC.

Community land trustNonprofit corporation created to hold land for the benefitof a community. Community land trusts are democrati-cally structured and anyone in the community can be amember. Other types of land trusts may hold land for aspecific reason, such as conservation or keeping the landin agricultural production. These types of trusts do notneed to be governed by the community in which theyhold land.

Community loan fundNonprofit corporation, or a program of a nonprofit,that makes loans for projects within a community.Community loan funds often provide loans andtechnical assistance to groups and projects that cannotget funding through more traditional sources. They canserve as intermediaries between community investorsand borrowers. Community loan funds get money byborrowing from individuals and institutions such asbanks or foundations.

Conservation easementAgreement between a landowner and government agencyor nonprofit organization (such as a land trust). Theagreement limits the landowner's ability to develop land,often in exchange for cash and/or reduced propertytaxes. Conservation easements work because the legalright to use land in certain ways can be separated fromphysical ownership of the land. For example, a conserva-tion easement on a ranch might allow the owner to con-tinue grazing cattle on the land, but prohibit selling landfor housing developments. Easements can have effect fora limited time or in perpetuity.

DensityProportion of people or residences to a given amount ofspace, such as the number of residences per acre.Maximum or minimum density of development is oftenspecified in zoning codes. Some local governments linkallowable densities to other important public benefits likeaffordable housing or the protection of open space. Forexample, in return for building low- or moderate-incomehousing or preserving open space within the develop-ment, a developer might be given a "density bonus." Thisbonus allows the developer to build more housing unitsper acre than typically allowed under zoning provisions.

Development feesFees that local governments charge for new develop-ments. They support public services (fire and policeprotection or water and sewage treatment) or construc-tion of new facilities (schools, roads, or parks). Thesefees can be a one-time charge collected from developers,or a longer-term fee collected from residents of a newdevelopment.

Edge cityUrban center that has grown up at the edge of an estab-lished city. Author Joel Garreau coined this phrase, whichhe used as the title of his 1991 book about this new urbanform. He notes that "they contain all the functions a cityever has, albeit in a spread-out form that few have cometo recognize for what it is." According to Garreau, edgecities differ from old-fashioned suburbs in that they have

28SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNMES GLOSSARY 23

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plenty of office and retail space and "more jobs than bed-rooms." They are perceived as being one place, althoughthe boundaries may be fuzzy; and they have developedtheir "city" characteristics within the last thirty years.

Inner suburbsCommunities adjacent to large cities, often formed in theyears after World War II when middle-class familiesmoved out from the city to new homes in new suburbs.Over time, the economies of many inner suburbs havedeclined and their middle-class residents have moved tonewer communities farther away from the city center.

Land trustSee community land trust.

Land-use planningLocal government activity that lays out policies and stan-dards governing the future physical development of a cityor county. The general plan (or town plan) is an overallblueprint for development based on the community'sgoals. Often the general plan of the city or county is sup-plemented by more specific community or neighborhoodplans. Plans are updated periodically. (See zoning.)

Local (or community) currencyLegal currency, issued by the people of a community toincrease the local money supply and improve their abilityto provide for their own needs with local resources. Localcurrencies are spent within the community among indi-viduals and businesses who agree to accept them. Theyare often denominated in hours-of-labor (and are some-times called "hours") but can also be linked to the federalcurrency (for example, an "hour" might be worth $10).

Metropolitan areaCity and its surrounding area. Metropolitan areas aredefined in different ways, such as by the extent of city ser-vices such as water and sewer or a shared public transitsystem. The U.S. Census Bureau defines metropolitanareas in terms of certain population levels. No matterwhat the definition, the cities, suburbs, and other com-munities in metropolitan areas have strong economic tiesand other interests in common.

Open spaceLand largely free of residential and industrial develop-ment. This land may have a variety of values for peopleand communities, including wildlife habitat, recreationaccess, and esthetic enjoyment. Farm lands and commu-nity parks are generally considered to be open space.

RegionalismView that a city and its surrounding area are a single eco-nomic unit, despite the many political jurisdictions that

24 SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES GLOSSARY

divide the region. Regional connections include environ-mental and cultural links, roads and highways, sharedpublic services, and other ties. Regionalists say that col-laboration among the city, suburbs, surrounding ruralareas, and towns will improve the well-being of the entirearea. (See metropolitan area.)

SprawlLow-density development at the edges of cities andtowns that spreads out into previously undeveloped land.Sprawl often consists of "strips" of commercial develop-ment along major roadways and highway interchanges,and spread-out residential developments, usually ofdetached single family homes. In rural areas, residentialsprawl may have little relation to a town center. Somepeople believe that "sprawl" unfairly labels a growth pat-tern that Americans have been choosing for decades.

SubdivisionLarge piece of land that is divided into smaller lots onwhich houses are built. Homes in subdivisions are oftensimilar in style and cost. They are serviced by roads, utili-ties, and other public services that were planned for andprovided by the original developer. In most states andcounties, subdivisions over a certain size must followparticular government regulations.

SuburbResidential area located outside of a city or town. Somesuburbs have their own business districts with shoppingand offices.

Sustainable developmentDevelopment that satisfies current needs without com-promising the ability of future generations to satisfy theirown needs and aspirations. Advocates of sustainabilityare concerned with social equity, and economic andenvironmental health.

Tax credits (or breaks)Reduced tax burden that promotes certain types of devel-opment or investment. These tax reductions may be writ-ten into tax codes governing everything from local orstate property taxes to federal income taxes.

ZoningLocal codes that govern the use and development ofproperty. Zoning usually divides a community into"zones" that allow only certain types of development.Performance zoning is another approach. It relies on acase-by-case review of proposed developments usingdetailed "performance standards," which specify howdevelopments should be designed and constructed.(See land-use planning.)

2 9

A study circle facilitator does not need to be anexpert on the topic being discussed, or even themost knowledgeable person in the group. But thefacilitator should be the best prepared for the dis-cussion. This means understanding the goals of thestudy circle, being familiar with the subject, thinkingahead of time about how the discussion might go,and preparing questions to aid the group in consid-ering the subject. Solid preparation will enable youto give your full attention to group dynamics and towhat individuals in the group are saying.

HELP PARTICIPANTS KNOW WHATTO EXPECT

Make sure participants know from the begin-ning that this is their study circle.At the start, have an open discussion about thegoals of the study circle and how it will work.Call people's attention to "Making the most ofyour study circle" on page 3. Use the "Groundrules for useful discussions," also on page 3, asa starting point for group members to agree ontheir own ground rules.

Be clear about your role ea facilitator.Your job is to help keep the discussion movingand on track. Be sure that everyone understandsyour role. (See "The facilitator's role," at right.)

Stick with the ground rules.Post them at each session. Use them! If a prob-lem develops, ask group members if they aresticking to the ground rules.

CI LEARN AS YOU GO

End each session by reflecting on the discussion.Invite people to mention new ideas they gainedin the discussion. Also, talk about how thesession went and what the groupand you asfacilitatorcould do better next time. Somepeople feel uncomfortable saying their criticismsout loud. You may want to give people time towrite down their thoughts about the process.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

ME FACILITATOR'S ROLE

o Stay neutral. Use the poweryou have with the group well.Your role should never be topromote a particular point ofview, but rather to further thediscussion. By the end of thediscussion, group membersshould not know your views.

0 Help participants under-stand and be understood.Many people take part instudy circles to gain a betterpersonal grasp of an issue.Focus the discussion more

on developing that under-standing than on coming toagreement.

0 Be an active listener. Youwill need to understand whatpeople say if you are to guidethe discussion effectively.

Listen carefully. You will bemore alert to potential con-flicts, and you'll be setting agood example for participants.

0 Don't be the expert or"answer person." You shouldnot play the role of authorityon the subject. Let theparticipants decide what theybelieve. Allow group membersto correct each other when amistake is made.

0 Keep the discussions ontrack. Important issues areusually related to each other,so discussions often stray intoother areas. Allow participantsto explore connections andideas, but try to keep thediscussion related to thesession's topic.

Begin each session with reflection.Build each discussion on the progress thegroup has already made. Post the notes fromprevious sessions in the room, and begin byreflecting on the previous sessions. Also discussnew thoughts participants may have since thelast meeting.

Keep track of questions, ideas for action, andother things that could sidetrack the discussion.Study circle members often come up with ques-tions and thoughts that don't fit into the currentdiscussion. Keep a running list of the kinds ofthings that come up often. For example:

Unanswered questionsList on a separatesheet of paper. At the end of the session, thegroup could decide who would be willing tofind answers to the most important questionsbefore the next session.

3 0SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNGIES FACILITATOR TIPS 25

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TIPS ABOUT TAKING NOTES

0 Team up to take notes.Two facilitators, working asa team, can easily switch offresponsibilities for leadingthe discussion and takingnotes.

0 Ask participants to volun-teer. If you can't find anoth-er facilitator to team with,you can ask study circlemembers to volunteer as notetaker. Make sure it's not thesame person for every ses-

sion, because taking notestakes the person out of thediscussion. You could evenswitch note-takers partwaythrough a session to giveeveryone a chance to takenotes and to talk!

0 Focus on the main ideas.Instead of trying to writeevery word, the note-takershould capture the mainideas. And notes may not benecessary for every part ofthe discussion. The facilitatorand note-taker should decidethe most important partsto record.

0 Make the notes easy toread. Notes are most helpfulif they are written so thateveryone can see them as thediscussion goes along. Forexample, use colorful markerson large sheets of newsprint.Write clearly. Post the filledsheets around the room.

0 Use the notes. Otherwise,there's not much point totaking them.

D Refer to them during adiscussion to keep track ofprogress.

D Post them at a later sessionto remind the group of keyideas from earlier sessions.Ask people if the notesreflect their discussionaccurately and fairly.

Have someone type up thenotes and hand them outat the next session.

D Look at them between ses-sions to prepare yourself tofacilitate the next session.

Action ideasKeep track of these and usethem to spark people's thinking during Session3 or Session 5, which focus on action.

Review the discussions yourselfTo prepare for each session, think about how youwould summarize the discussions so far. Notethe outstanding issues, areas of agreement, andkey ideas that you want to bring into the nextdiscussion.

Work with a note-taker.Good notes can help the study circle keep trackof its progress both during the discussion andfrom one session to the next. Ask someone to bethe note-takerdon't do it yourself. (See "Tipsabout taking notes," above.)

26 SMART TALK Fon GROWING COMMUNITIES FACILITATOR TIPS

0 USE THE VIEWS!In the study circle materials, some sessionsinclude viewpoints or approaches to action.These powerful tools help the study circle con-sider a range of ideas. They also help youencourage participants to think differently aboutthe issue. It's important that you know how touse them.

Make sure everyone is familiar with the views.Post a list of the view titles. Then ask for volun-teers to read the descriptions out loud, or read tothemselves. This step reminds everyone that arange of views exist.

Use the views to broaden participants' thinking.The thoughts and ideas of study circle membersshould be the starting place and guiding forcebehind the discussion. Participants bring theirown ideas about the issue and how to act on it.Use the views to encourage people to considerother perspectives. To push their understanding,ask members to make a good case for a view theydisagree with.

Compare and contrast the views.Rather than discussing each viewpoint separate-ly, help participants see connections between theviews and their own perspectives. Encouragepeople to compare and contrast their thinkingwith the views. Sometimes it makes sense to lookin detail at one view for a bit, but be alert forways of moving the discussion easily from oneview to another.

Make sure all the views are considered.Bring in unpopular viewsor ones that partici-pants simply haven't thought ofto help peopletest new ideas and understand other perspec-tives. Encourage people to consider the strengthsand weaknesses of each view.

1-1 MANAGE THE DISCUSSION

Let participants respond to one another'scomments and questions.Encourage interaction among the group.Participants should be conversing with eachother, not with the facilitator. If questions orcomments are directed at you, try to deflectthem to another member of the group.

31

Remember, you should speak less than any otherperson in the group.

Allow for pauses and silences.It's tempting to fill silences, especially afteryou've asked a question. Instead, silently countto ten after asking a question. The pause will givepeople time to think and reflect, or to build upcourage to make a point.

Draw out quiet participants.Don't put anyone on the spot, but watch for sub-tle opportunities to bring quiet people into thediscussion naturally. This will be easier if you usetime before and after your study circle to becomeacquainted with each member of the group.Learn participants' names and use them.

Don't let the group get hung up on 'facts."Disagreements about basic facts are common forcontroversial issues. If there is debate about afact or figure, ask the group if that fact is relevantto the discussion. In some cases, it is best toleave the disagreement unresolved and move on.Ask participants who disagree about a fact toresearch it for the next session.

Don't let the aggressive, talkative person orfaction dominate.If you allow people to interrupt or let one or twotalkers take over, the more polite people willbecome angry and frustrated. At the first sign oftrouble, you can head off problems by referringto the ground rules the group has set.

Use conflict productively.Explore areas of disagreement. Encourage partic-ipants to say what they really think, even if it'sunpopular. However, do not tolerate put-downs,name-calling, labeling, or personal attacks. Suchbehaviors can be forbidden by the group'sground rules.

Synthesize or summarize the discussionoccasionally.Consolidate related ideas to provide a solid basefor the discussion. Ask group members to helpyou with this task. You don't have to wait untilthe end of a session to summarize. Do it whenyou sense that some participants are having ahard time keeping track of what's happening, orwhen a little breather or reflection time seemsappropriate.

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Don't worry about achieving consensus.While it's good for the study circle to have asense of where participants stand, consensus isnot necessary. Even in the face of widely diver-gent views, you can still help participants findareas of common ground.

USING QUESTIONS EFFECTIVELY

0 Ask open-ended questions.Questions such as, "What else

haven't we considered?" will

encourage discussion rather

than short, specific answers.

Such questions are especially

helpful for drawing out quietmembers of the group.

0 Ask hard questions. Don'tallow the discussion simply to

confirm old assumptions.

Encourage participants to re-

examine their assumptions.

Help people think critically. Callattention to points of view thathave not been mentioned or

seriously considered, even if

you don't agree with them.

0 Use follow-up questions.Encourage participants to

reflect more deeply on the

meaning of their comments.

These follow-up questions can

be addressed to individuals or

to the group as a whole:

D What makes you say that?

D Why is that a problem?

D Why is that important?

D How does that make youfeel?

D What do you make of that?

D What do you think is really

going on here?

HAVE A GOOD TIME!Even as you discuss serious and important issues,remember to have fun! A sense of humor helpssmooth over rough spots and puts participantsat ease.

32

SMART TALK FOR G ROWING COMMUNITIES FACILITATOR TIPS 27

ORGANIZING STUDY CIRCLE PROGRAMS

Each community must find its own way to build dia-logue and citizen involvement. However, importantprecedents, principles, and lessons can provideguidance along the way.

This section provides a basic "toolbox" for orga-nizers and facilitators of study circles. The advicesummarizes what we have learned from hundredsof site visits, phone conversations, reports, newsarticles, and more. It includes:

An overview of study circles

Organizing study circles on growthOrganizing for actionInvolving public officials in study circle programsThis information helps facilitators better under-

stand how study circles workand why. You need tohave a clear sense of this so you understand yourrole better and are able to answer questions.Participants usually want to talk about what mighthappen after their study circle. Using the informa-tion in this session, you can help them explore their

options for action, including usingstudy circles with other communi-ty members.

If you are organizing study cir-cles, you'll also find this informa-tion helpful. For more detailedguidance on organizing studycircle programs, Study CirclesResource Center (SCRC) offers anexcellent resource called PlanningCommunity-wide Study Circle

Programs: A Step-by-Step Guide. (See page 38 forSCRC's address.)

For information onwhere community-wide study circles arehappening or wherestudy circle coalitionsare forming, contactthe Study CirclesResource Center.(See page 38.)

An Overview Of Study Circles

Many types of benefits come from study circles.Through study circles, people can:

educate themselvesestablish new relationships and new communitynetworksrecognize ways to change their own behavior

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cooperate with others to solve common problemshelp to create much larger political changes intheir communities

Study circles have these benefits because they helpcitizens take responsibility for community issues.Study circle participants see connections betweenpersonal experiences and public policies, and gaina deeper understanding of their own and others'perspectives and concerns. They discover commonground and a greater desire and ability to work indi-vidually and collaboratively to solve problems.

Where can study circles take place?Study circles can take place within organizations,such as schools, congregations, workplaces, orgovernment agencies. Libraries, civic groups, andgovernment task forces might sponsor them. At themost basic level, what you need to organize a studycircle are participants, a place to meet, a facilitator,discussion materials, and the commitment totalk together about an issue of common concern.Many organizations can come up with these basicingredients.

The study circle can be adapted to the needs andgoals of many communities and organizations.Some organizations, for example, combine studycircles with their regular monthly meetings. Groupsof co-workers might meet over lunch once a weekfor a number of weeks. Similar organizations suchas churches can team up to hold study circles to-gether. The study circle's strength is in its flexibility.

What is a community-wide study circle program?Study circles have their greatest reach and impactwhen community organizations work together tocreate large-scale programs. These community-wideprograms engage large numbers of citizensinsome cases thousands of peoplein study circleson a public issue such as race relations, crime andviolence, or education. Participants from study cir-cles across the community often come together forone or more community-wide meetings: a kick-offevent, a meeting with public officials, and an actionforum that helps the community create coordinatedaction out of the individual study circles. Broad-

3 328 SMART TALK FoR GROWING COMMUNITIES ORGANIZING STUDY CIRCLES

based, cross-sector sponsoring coalitions encouragestrong, diverse community participation.

How do community-wide study circle programscome into being?Typically, a single organization such as a mayor'soffice, a YWCA, or a county planning commissioninitiates and staffs the project. In most communi-ties, one organization takes the lead and approachesother key organizations to build a sponsoringcoalition. Most community-wide programs have tento thirty organizations as sponsors or endorsers.Grassroots organizations such as churches, neigh-borhood associations, businesses, schools, andclubs often take part.

What are the outcomes of community-wide studycircle programs?Community-wide study circle programs foster newconnettions among community members that leadto new levels of community action. These connec-tions help citizens see how the actions they take asindividuals, as members of small groups, and asmembers of large organizations fit together in thebroader scheme of community goals. Community-wide programs also create new connectionsbetween citizens and government, both at an insti-tutional level and among parents and teachers,community members and social service providers,residents and police officers.

Organizing Study Circles On Growth

Concerns about the pace and character of a com-munity's development go to the heart of people'ssense of their basic quality of life. Any number ofconcernstraffic congestion, property values andhousing, jobs, schools, the environmentare cer-tain to get people talking. The challenge is knowinghow to get your study circle effort going, and how toapproach a complex issue such as growth.

As an organizer of a study circle program ongrowth, you will provide a way for people to cometogether to address an issue that touches everyone.You will be working to welcome and include every-one in the conversation, and to let them know thatthe study circles will be safe places where they canshare their ideas, listen to others and be listened to,and work together to make an impact on the issuesthat affect their lives.

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0 If you plan on inviting one ormore public officials to meetwith your study circlePlease contact Congressional

Exchange (CX) for assistance.

The contact information is on

the back cover.

0 If public officials are not apart of your study circleplanCX's sister project, the Study

Circles Resource Center (SCRC),

will be happy to offer youassistance. The contact infor-

mation is on page 38.

0 For large, community-wideprogramsThe TopsfieldFoundation, SCRC, and CX help

with some of the start-upcosts by providing assistance

and advice, free of charge, to

organizers of large-scale

programs.

0 Finding and funding acoordinatorOrganizing, studycircle programs is labor-intensive and may require a

full-time coordinator. The coor-

dinator's fee or salary can be

the largest single expense of

the program, but it can befunded in a variety of ways:

D an organization allows an

employee to work on the

study circle full-time

D a community or private

foundation provides funds

to hire a coordinator

D a company lends an

executive

D a university assigns a gradu-

ate student to coordinate

study circles for credit

0 Most of the other resourcesrequired for the program,such as training, can be

provided in-kind by the

organizations in the study

circle coalition.

Consider these two key questions before you begin:1. What are you trying to achieve?

Keep in mind that study circles have many usesand many benefits. What do you want your studycircle(s) to accomplish? What needs in your com-munity do you think study circles might address?What kinds of benefits do you think the peoplewho participate will want to achieve?

2. What will the scope of your study circleprogram be?As you think about the options listed on the nextpage, think about the scope of your program inthe short term and long term. Study circles canstart smallone or two on the same topic. Theycan stay small, but their effects on the communitymight be limited. Larger, community-wide pro-grams are more likely to cause long-term change.

3 4SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES ORGANIZING STUDY CIRCLES 29

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OPTION 1 A Single Study CircleHOW TO BEGIN Invite ten to fifteen key people for

three to six sessions.BENEFITS Mainly educational, creates new rela-

tionships, can affect individual behavior.POSSIBILITIES Can help create an organizing

coalition for a larger effort.ORGANIZING EFFORT MinimalOne person can

make this happen easily.FOR HELP Contact Study Circles Resource Center

(SCRC) or Congressional Exchange (CX) for acopy of "Starting Small, Thinking Big" fromPlanning Community-wide Study CirclePrograms: A Step-by-Step Guide.

OPTION 2 A Set of Study Circles AmongYoung People

HOW TO BEGIN Base your efforts at a high schoolor in a youth program, and create study circlesinvolving young people and the adults whowork with them.

BENEFITS Basically the same as for a single studycircle, but a set of circles can also affect theschools and youth programs involved.

POSSIBILITIES Can be a stepping stone for a largereffort involving adults.

ORGANIZING EFFORT Minimal to moderate

POTENTIAL PARTNERS

0 City and county planners whofeel they are receiving conflict-ing advice on land-use policyfrom different segments of thepublic.

0 Farmers and ranchers concernedabout loss of agricultural landsor threats to their right to usetheir land as they see fit.

0 Educators, school boards, par-ents' organizations and othersconcerned about overcrowdedand underfunded schools.

0 Businesses (particularly in thesuburbs) that are finding itincreasingly difficult to findworkers because of a shortageof affordable housing.

0 Environmental educators andactivists.

0 Religious institutions andcivil rights organizations con-cerned about racially and/oreconomically segregatedneighborhoods.

0 Builders and developers whofeel their businesses are threat-ened by zoning restrictions,building requirements, andNIMBY ("not in my back yard")sentiments.

0 Local government officialsconcerned that public servicesare unable to keep up with thepace of growth.

0 Members of the businesscommunity concerned thatexplosive growth might leadto a backlash against furthereconomic development.

30 SMART TALK Fon GROWING COMMUNITIES ORGANIZING STUDY CIRCLES

Depends on the number of circles involved. Youwill need time to train facilitators and organizethe program.

FOR HELP Contact SCRC or CX for a copy of YouthIssues, Youth Voices.

OPTION 3 A Set of Study Circles InvolvingPaired Organizations

HOW TO BEGIN Start with the leaders of a networkof institutions, such as churches, neighborhoodassociations, clubs, or businesses, and achievediversity in each study circle by pairing theorganizations.

BENEFITS Basically the same as for a single studycircle, but pairings can also affect the institu-tions involved, and perhaps have some impacton problems in the larger community.

POSSIBILITIES You can build up to a community-wide program by first achieving success inparticular sectors of the community.

ORGANIZING EFFORT ModerateThis couldinvolve several people from the participatingorganizations.

FOR HELP Contact SCRC or CX for a copy of StudyCircles in Paired Congregations.

OPTION 4 A Community-wide StudyCircle Program

HOW TO BEGIN The first step is often to hold apilot study circle among community memberswho might support a larger program. Thesepeople can be the core of a sponsoring coalitionthat will take the effort to the largercommunity level.

BENEFITS Same as for a single study circle, buta community-wide program can also lead toproblem-solving action by individuals, smallgroups, large organizations, and the community.These programs can also have a profound effecton people's sense of community.

POSSIBILITIES Can lead to permanent mecha-nisms for public deliberation and problemsolving.

ORGANIZING EFFORT ConsiderableLargeprograms with many circles across sectors of acommunity require the coordinating effort ofseveral people or groups.

FOR HELP Contact SCRC or CX for a copy ofPlanning Community-wide Study CirclePrograms: A Step-by-Step Guide.

35

Organizing For Action

The opportunity for participants to take action is akey component of a successful study circle program.Many of the people and organizations in the pro-gram will take part because they hope to make a dif-ference on the issue. Making people aware that youare planning for an action phase helps you recruit.Moreover, when participants know that action is partof the program, it gives an added sense of purposeand energy to the dialogue inside the study circles.

0 HOW TO DO ITOrganizing for action requires planning ahead.Study circle organizers who plan for action from theearliest stages find that it strengthens the entireprogram and benefits the whole community. Theselessons and suggestions will help you plan.

1. Form an action committee within your organiz-ing coalition. Since many organizations areattracted to the coalition because they want tohelp move the community to action, it makessense to form an action committee. This commit-tee is responsible for creating the conditions thathelp participants take action, not for decidingwhat those actions will be. It will help if the peo-ple on your action committee represent a mix ofprofessions and approaches to the issue, sinceaction can take many forms.

2. Create a study circle recording process to trackthemes. It is helpful to have a brief session-by-session record of the discussion within each studycircle. Records from all the study circles can becombined into a report for the program as awhole; they will be useful in planning actionforums for the program; and they can be used togive updates to public officials and journalists.Ask one of the participants to jot down notes onthe most important points, particularly the actionideas and main areas of agreement or disagree-ment. This record doesn't have to be scientific orcomplex, but it does have to fair and objective.At the end of the session, make sure everyoneagrees the summary captures what happened inthe session.

3. Reach out to organizations already working onthe issue. All of these organizations need to knowthat the study circle program will produce many

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energized citizens looking for ways to getinvolved. Ask the organizations how they coulduse volunteers and how they would like to receivecitizen input.

4. Hold an action forum. Your best opportunity togalvanize problem-solving efforts comes at theend of each round of study circles. At the kickoffof the study circle, announce the date of theaction forum. Invite the study circle participants,coalition members, area organizations workingon the issue, and other community members. Usethe study circle records to identify themes thatemerged from the groups. At the action forum,give people the opportunity to sign up for taskforces on those themes. For example, the taskforces for a program on growth and developmentmight focus on themes such as preserving openspace, creating affordable housing, or promotingregional cooperation. Ask people with some pro-fessional expertise in each topic to join that taskforce. If you are writing a report based on thestudy circle records, the action forum is an excel-lent time to release it.

5. Support the task forces as they move forward.It is critical for program organizers to stay intouch with the task forces. Help them get off theground by identifying conveners and settingmeeting dates. To keep task force efforts in thepublic eye, publish a newsletter that reports ontheir progress, and encourage newspapers andtelevision stations to cover their work. Provideways for newcomers to join task forces as the pro-gram moves along. Finally, celebrate the task forceachievements and build on them. One way to dothis is through periodic large-group meetings.

0 DEMOCRACY IN ACTIONOne of the most common action ideas voiced bystudy circle participants is the need for more studycircles. Take advantage of this opportunity tostrengthen your program by involving more peopleas facilitators, organizers, and coalition members.

It is vital to maintain the spirit of deliberation ascitizens and organizations plunge into the actionphase. Your participants will benefit from opportu-nities to work together in small groups and cele-brate their achievements at large forums. Withcareful planning, your study circle program canexemplify democracy in action.

36SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNMES ORGANIZING STUDY CIRCLES 31

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Involving Public Officials

Study circle organizers, participants, and publicofficials all benefit from working together in study

circles. When citizens andofficeholders work together tobuild study circle programs,they strike an informal butpowerful bargain. On one hand,citizens gain opportunities fortheir voices to be heard in ameaningful way; on the otherhand, public officials gain the

added problem-solving capacity that comes from anengaged and involved citizenry. Citizens and gov-ernment become partners rather than adversaries,and the entire community benefits.

For more informationand assistance onworking with publicofficials, contactCongressionalExchange.

0 BENEFITS TO STUDY CIRCLE ORGANIZERSAND PARTICIPANTS

Public officials offer a unique kind of support tostudy circle programs. More than any other poten-tial program co-sponsor, public officials can helpcreate structures and situations that allow people torealize the full potential of study circles.Officeholders can:

raise your program's visibility and credibilityhelp recruit both participants and a broad rangeof sponsoring organizationsprovide unique insights into important publicpolicy questionshelp participants take action on the issues theyface

channel the insights of study circle participantsinto government policy decisionsstrengthen people's sense that their participationin politics can make a difference

El BENEFITS TO PUBLIC OFFICIALS

Public officials also benefit from participating instudy circles by:

Reaching out beyond core constituencies. Studycircles provide officeholders with opportunities totalk with diverse groups of citizens who caredeeply about issues, but who are not locked intoadvocacy positions. Study circles create a non-hostile environment in which public officials can

reach out and meet with people who may fall out-side of their core constituencies.

Getting to the essence of public views. Study circlesencourage citizens to discuss their personal con-nections to complex public issues. Participantstypically explore the essence of their values,concerns, and aspirations regarding public chal-lenges. Information of this sort is invaluable whenit comes time for public officials to make difficultpolicy decisions on a wide range of issues.

Supporting the search for nongovernmentalsolutions. Study circle participants are making aserious effort to understand and resolve publicissues for themselves. These people believe thatgovernment action alone cannot solve all of soci-ety's problems. Through face-to-face dialogue,public officials can help study circle participantsto think moie broadly about the nature of thechallenges that confront their communities andthe nation, and also help them sort through thepros and cons of different courses of action.

Recognizing active and engaged citizens.Officeholders and good government advocatesfrequently worry about steadily decreasing ratesof voter turnout. Public officials can demonstratetheir dedication to creating a more informed andengaged citizenry by meeting with study circleparticipants who carve time from busy schedulesto examine, discuss, and take action on our coun-try's most difficult public challenges.

Building stronger relationships. Study circles pro-vide an opportunity for public officials to reachout and form stronger relationships with theirconstituents. Citizen participants greatly appreci-ate the opportunity to meet in settings that arenot about campaign-style selling of predeter-mined policy positions, or about damage controltechniques common to most public meetings.The trust that is built in these meetings givesofficeholders greater credibility when other diffi-cult issues arise.

0 ROLES FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALSWhen deciding which public officials you want toinvite to join your program, think about the role youwould like them to play. Two of the most commonroles for officeholders are:

3732 SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNMES ORGANIZING STUDY CIRCLES

Help with organizing. Local government agencieswith a particular interest in your issue may bewilling to lend a hand with the basic tasks of orga-nizing a study circle program. For issues related togrowth and community change, you mightapproach the mayor's office, city or county coun-cil, economic development agency, environmen-tal protection department, school board, planningoffice, or transportation department. Workingwith these sorts of local government agenciesoften makes it easier to convince higher-levelelected officials to join your study circle.

Face-to-face dialogue with study circleparticipants. The single most powerful thing pub-lic officials can do to strengthen your program isto have a candid, face-to-face dialogue with studycircle participants. But first, you may have to con-vince officeholders that it is in their interest to doso. Some public officials will be very comfortablewith the give-and-take style of study circles.Others, though, may be wary of new formats thatdiffer from the typical public hearing, town meet-ing, or focus group. Your best bet is to start byrecruiting officeholders who seem likely to enjoystudy circles.

0 WHOM TO INVITEWhen deciding which public officials to invite toyour study circle, you have a wide range of choicesfrom mayors and city council members, to policechiefs, county planners, and school superinten-dents, to state legislators and members of Congress.If your main goals are improving the program's visi-bility and participant recruitment efforts, try torecruit the highest level public official possible.

0 POINTS TO EMPHASIZEThis is not a special interest project. Study circlesdo not promote any particular partisan viewpointor special interest position. Citizens participatebecause study circles allow people to explore dif-ferent points of view without pushing participantsin a particular direction.How much time will it take? The time commit-ment for public officials can be as little as a singleone-hour meeting or a longer sequence of studycircles over a period of weeks.

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How many citizens will be involved? This willvary from program to program. But no matterwhat the size of the meeting, the study circleprocess will create opportunities for more mean-ingful dialogue than is found in most other typesof public meetings.How are participants recruited? Every effort ismade to recruit a cross-section of the community.This is done by creating a diverse coalition oforganizations such as civic associations, clergyassociations, schools,businesses and otheremployers who, inturn, reach out to peo-ple they see daily.

Will the news mediabe involved? Somepublic officials maywant the publicity thatcomes with the news media's presence. Othersmay prefer to downplay the role of the newsmedia in order to create more opportunities forfrank conversation. The news media should beinvited only if this is agreed to by everyone.Moreover, comments made during the meetingbetween study circle participants and officehold-ers should be off the record.No surprises. Offer to brief public officials before-hand on the main themes that study circle partici-pants have been discussing regarding their con-cerns, aspirations, and action plans. Emphasizethat the meeting will be a structured one, with atrained facilitator and ground rules. Make sureofficeholders understand that this will not be afree-for-all.

iJ'he single most powerfulthing public officialscan do to strengthen

your program is to have a

candid, face-to-face dialogue

with study circle participants.

0 TRACK ME OUTCOMESOfficeholders will hope to gain a sense of the broadthemes that are emerging from the study circle,even though it is not the purpose of study circlesto guide people to a consensus position. You canhelp the officials by tracking the outcomes of thestudy circles. This will also help the study circleparticipants as the discussions progress. See page31, #2, "Create a study circle recording process totrack themes."

3 8SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES ORGANIZING STUDY CIRCLES 33

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COMMUNITY GROWTHTHE STATE AND FEDERAL CONNECTION

The question of which publicofficial to involve in yourstudy circle is an importantone. It may seem that mostof the obvious decisions andactions that shape how yourcommunity grows take placeat the local level. Talkingwith a local official may bethe most logical place tobegin. These officials areimportant and can offermuch to your study circle.

Consider your state and fed-eral public officials, too.They are involved in makingpolicy decisions that affecthow your community is likelyto grow and what you areable to do about it. Thesedecisions include:

0 Funding for all sorts oftransportation projects

0 Regulations and programsdesigned to protect theenvironment

0 State growth managementand land-use laws

0 Incentives for buildingaffordable housing incertain areas

0 Funding to support localeconomic developmentefforts

0 Management of publiclands

0 Business and personaldeductions on incometaxes

0 Location of state andfederal fadlities suchas post offices, prisons,motor vehicle bureaus, andmilitary bases

State and federal publicofficials need to hear whatcommunity members have tosay about growth. It helpsthem understand citizens'concerns and ideas. It canalso be useful as these offi-cials help make policies thatwork better for communitiesthat are grappling withgrowth issues.

0 STRUCTURE THE DIALOGUEYour goal as an organizer should be to createsituations in which public officials and citizen-participants can experience the same sort of mean-ingful, give-and-take dialogue that usually takesplace in study circles. In a sense, you are simplyexpanding the circle of participation to includepublic officials.

Congressional Exchange meetings between studycircle participants and public officials often takeplace within the context of a community-wide studycircle program. Even with hundreds of participants,it is fairly easy to retain the intimacy of study circledialogue while creating opportunities for meaning-ful communication. The "fish bowl" process is onetechnique you can try

The "fish bowl" process1. At the end of Session 3, ask each study circle to

select one or two representatives. These peoplewill have a chance in Session 4 to report on someof the main themes that are emerging from theirstudy circles.

2. Set up the room for the Session 4 meeting with acenter "fish bowl" circle that includes the studycircle representatives and the public official. Theother participants sit in a larger circle surround-ing the fish bowl.

3. For the first 30 minutes or so, the study circle par-ticipants meet without the public official. Thisallows people from the different study circles toreview the ground rules, get acquainted, and briefeach other on the main themes that are emergingfrom their respective study circles.

4. Once the public official joins the center circle,proceed with the process outlined in Part 2 ofSession 4, page 18. As an icebreaker, ask several ofthe study circle representatives to talk about whattheir respective groups have been discussing.Next, open the conversation to the public officialand the other representatives in the center circle.Allow about 30 to 60 minutes for this part ofthe dialogue.

5. For the final 30 minutes of dialogue, open thefloor to those participants sitting in the outer cir-cle. Remind everyone that this is still a study circlesession and a time for a give-and-take discussion.Avoid a question-and-answer session.

6. Close the meeting by asking both the publicofficial and study circle participants to commenton what they have learned from the discussion.

3 9

34 SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES ORGANIZING STUDY CIRCLES

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For Further Discussion And Action

This is a sampling of the many resources available to inform your study circle discussions and to move beyond yourstudy circle to more learning, discussion, and action. Contact information is current as of April 1998.

ORGANIZATIONS

Alternative Energy ResourcesOrganization (AERO)25 S. Ewing, Suite 214Helena, MT 59601

Phone 406.443.7272E-mail [email protected]

Dedicated to promoting sustainableresource use and rural community vitali-ty. One of its publications, Big Sky or BigSprawl: What Transportation and Land-Use Decisions Cost Montana Communi-ties, looks in depth at the costs of certaintypes of development. The researchmethods and information are applicableto many rapid growth scenarios.

American Farm Bureau Federation225 Touhy Ave.Park Ridge, IL 60068

Phone 847.685.8600Web site www.fb.com

Active in local, state, national, and inter-national issues that affect the farmingcommunity Provides education, profes-sional development, and networkingassistance to county and state farmbureaus.

American Farmland Trust1920 N Street NW, Suite 400Washington, DC 20036

Phone 202.659.5170Web site www.farmland.org

Works to stop the loss of productivefarmland and to promote environmen-tally sound farming practices. Programsinclude public education, technicalassistance in policy development, anddirect farmland protection projects.Publications include research findingson agricultural land threatened by urbansprawl and information on variousapproaches to, and benefits of, protect-ing farmland.

Cascade Policy Institute813 SW Alder Street, Suite 300

Portland, OR 97205

Phone 503.242.0900Web site www.cascadepolicy.org

Promotes answers to Oregon's publicpolicy questions from a limited-govern-ment, free-market perspective. Whilefocused primarily on local issues, CPIoffers a broader perspective on govern-ment intervention in mass transit, publiceducation, and land use.

Center for CooperativesUniversity of Wisconsin230 Taylor Hall427 Lorch StreetMadison, WI 53703-1503

Phone 608.262.3981

Studies and promotes cooperative actionas a means of meeting economic andsocial needs of people. Works in ruraland urban areas in the U.S. and over-seas. Develops, promotes, and coordi-nates educational programs, technicalassistance, and research on the coopera-tive form of business.

The Center for Living DemocracyRR #1, Black Fox RoadBrattleboro, VT 05301

Phone 802.254.1234Web site www.livingdemocracy.org

Supports grassroots efforts to regenerateour democracy. Publications include aquarterly newsletter, Doing Democracy,which highlights community successstories.

Center for Neighborhood Technology2125 West North AvenueChicago, IL 60647

Phone 773.278.4800Web site www.cnt.org

Promotes public policies, new resources,and accountable authority that supportsustainable, just and vital urban com-munities. Its "Metropolitan Initiative"aims to recraft the relationship betweenthe federal government, states and met-ropolitan areas. Publishes the bimonthlymagazine, The Neighborhood Works.

Equity Trust539 Beech Pond Rd.Voluntown, CT 06384

Phone 860.376.6174

Supports the development of communi-ty land trusts and community supportedagriculture. Provides technical assistanceand operates loan programs in the U.S.and around the world.

Greater Yellowstone CoalitionPO. Box 1874Bozeman, MT 59771

Phone 406.586.1593Web site www.desktop.org/gyc

Works to preserve and protect theGreater Yellowstone Ecosystem and theunique quality of life it sustains.Publications include Tools for ManagingGrowth in the Greater Yellowstone Area,a booklet that outlines growth manage-ment tools appropriate for communitiesacross the country.

Harbinger InstitutePO. Box 689Bridger, MT 59014


Provides consulting services thatsupport community, organizational,and personal development. Specialtiesinclude developing public discussionmaterials, and participation anddecision-making processes. Conductstraining workshops for facilitators,trainers, and citizens in workplacesand communities nationwide.

Institute for Community Economics57 School StreetSpringfield, MA 01105-1331

Phone 413.746.8660

Helps low-income communities addressfundamental problems related to lackof control over land, housing, andcapital. Provides technical assistanceand financing to community land trustsand other local groups. Operates arevolving loan fund that communities

4 0 SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNMES RESOURCES 35

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can use to start a land trust, communityloan fund, or other community organiza-tion. Publications include the quarterlynewsletter, Community Economics.

Institute for Cooperative CommunityDevelopmentP.O. Box 16193

Manchester, NH 03106

Phone 603.644.3124

Committed to building an economy thatworks for people. Helps communitiesconstruct competent, democratically-controlled, and results-oriented develop-ment organizations. Links communityeconomic development efforts with peo-ple who can provide assistance. Offersan extensive collection of publications.

International City/County ManagementAssociation777 North Capitol St., NE, Suite 500Washington, DC 20002

Phone 202.962.3680Web site www.icma.org

Aims to strengthen the quality of localgovernment through professional man-agement. Its "Smart Growth Network"provides information on trends and toolsfor improving the quality of develop-ment in communities.

The Johnson Foundation33 East Four Mile RoadRacine, WI 53401-0547

Phone 414.681.3343Web site www.johnsonfdn.org

Encourages discussion on a number ofprogram interests, including fosteringsustainable community developmentand building the civil and civic commu-nity. Provides research information, con-ference reports, and conference facilities.Publishes the Wingspread Journalquarterly.

Joint Center for SustainableCommunitiesThe National Association of Counties440 First Street, NWWashington, DC 20001

Phone 202.393.6226

OR

US Conference of Mayors1620 Eye Street, NWWashington, DC 20006

Phone 202.293.7330Web site www.usmayors.org/sustainable

Collaborative project of the NationalAssociation of Counties and the U.S.Conference of Mayors. Helps communi-ties become more self-sufficient and sus-tainable. Works primarily by providinglocal elected officials with advice, infor-mation, and financial support.

Land Trust Alliance1319 F Street, NW Suite 501Washington, DC 20004

Phone 202.638.4725Web site www.lta.org

Supports conservation in communitiesacross the country by providing informa-tion, training, and resources to peoplewho work through voluntary land trustorganizations. Publications includeExpertLink: A National Directory ofProfessionals Who Assist Land Trusts andConservation Easement Handbook.

Land Use Forum Network, Inc.(LUFNET)P.O. Box 266

Mount Hermon Rd.Hope, NJ 07844

Phone 908.459.4418Web site www.landuse.org

Provides free help to citizen groupsto resolve issues around unwantedland development. Web site provides astep-by-step outline for a collaborativeplanning process.

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy113 Brattle StreetCambridge, MA 02138

Phone 617.661.3016

Studies and teaches land policy, includ-ing land economics and land taxation.Uses multidisciplinary research, courses,and conferences. Publications includeAlternatives to Sprawl, an exploration ofsprawl, its causes and effects, and alter-native patterns of development.

The Local Government Commission1414 K Street, Suite 250Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone 916.448.1198Web site www.lgc.org

Provides technical assistance to localgovernments working to create andsustain healthy environments, strongeconomies, and social equity. Fosterspeer networking opportunities, serves asa liaison between city and county offi-cials, and suggests policy alternatives for

36 SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES RESOURCES41

addressing environmental and socialproblems. Publications include themonthly newsletter, Livable PlacesUpdate, and guides to land-use planningand development.

National Association of Home Builders1201 15th Street, NWWashington, DC 20005

Phone 202.822.0200Web site www.nahb.com

Represents the homebuilding industry;provides technical assistance to builders;and also lobbies Congress on behalf oflegislation favorable to the constructionand homebuilding industries.

National Association of RegionalCouncils1700 K Street, NW, Suite 1300Washington, DC 20006

Phone 202.457.0710Web site www.narc.org

Offers technical assistance, educationalservices, and public policy support tolocal government officials. Its education-al programs, conferences, and special-ized publications help regional andother local government officials under-stand and manage diversity and changein their communities. Publishes TheRegionalist, a quarterly periodical.

National Civic League1445 Market Street, Suite 300Denver, CO 80202-1728

Phone 303.571.4343Web site www.ncl.org

Provides technical assistance, publish-ing, and research to foster the practiceof collaborative problem-solving anddemocratic decision making.Publications include The CommunityVisioning and Strategic PlanningHandbook and the quarterly NationalCivic Review. Initiatives include the'Alliance for National Renewal," a net-work of community-building organiza-tions that address civic problems.

National League of Cities1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 500Washington, DC 20004

Phone 202.626.3000Web site www.nlc.org

Membership organization of local gov-ernments and state municipal leagues.Offers training, technical assistance, andinformation to municipal officers to help

them improve the quality of local gov-ernment. Also undertakes research andanalysis on topics and issues of impor-tance to our nation's cities and towns.

National Trust for Historic Preservation1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20036

Phone 202.588.6000

Private, nonprofit organization charteredby Congress in 1949. Dedicated to pre-serving the nation's cultural heritage.The Trust's "National Main Street Center"serves as a clearinghouse for informa-tion, technical assistance, research,and advocacy on preservation-basedcommunity revitalization. Publicationsinclude Smart States, Better Communi-ties: How State Governments Can HelpCitizens Preserve Their Communities.

1000 Friends of Oregon534 SW Third Ave., Suite 300Portland, OR 97204

Phone 503.497.1000Web site www.teleport.com/-

winchest/test/homepagl.htmlFocuses on land use, protection of agri-cultural and forest lands, communitygrowth, and citizen participation in landuse, planning and development. 1000Friends is a model for similar communi-ty organizations throughout the nation,promoting "common-sense planningand managed growth." Provides land-useinformation, tracks legislation, andopens opportunities for citizens to beinvolved in the development of theircommunities.

Pacific Research Institute forPublic Policy755 Sansome Street, Suite 450San Francisco, CA 94111

Phone 415.989.0833Web site www.pacificresearch.org

Advocates policies that emphasize freeeconomy, private initiative, and limitedgovernment on issues such as education,the environment, and social welfare.Fosters a better understanding of theprinciples of a free society among gov-ernment leaders, academia, the media,and the business community.

Partners for Livable Communities142921st Street, NWWashington, DC 20036

Phone 202.887.5990Web sitewww.ncl.org/ anr/ partners / plc. htm

Project of the National Civic League; aninternational network of organizationscommitted to improving civic lifethrough economic development andsocial equity. Creates realistic strategiesand programs for its members by usingpublications, networking services, lead-ership training, and technical assistance.

President's Council on SustainableDevelopment1319 F Street, NWWashington, DC 20004

Phone 202.408.5296Web site www.whitehouse.gov/PCSD

Advises the President on sustainabledevelopment and promotes newapproaches to integrate economic, envi-ronmental, and equity issues. Conductsoutreach to educate the public on theimportance of sustainable growth.

Program for CommunityProblem Solving1319 F Street, NWWashington, DC 20004

Phone 202.783.2961

Helps communities develop a civicculture that nurtures and supports com-munity problem solving. Offers trainingprograms, presentations, and coachingservices to communities directly andthrough its sponsoring organizations:National League of Cities, InternationalDowntown Association, National CivicLeague, American Chamber ofCommerce Executives, InternationalCity/County Management Association.Publications include Involving Citizensin Community Decision Making:A Guidebook, and Building theCollaborative Community: A SelectBibliography for Community Leaders.

Regional Civic Organization Network50 Public Square, Suite 843Cleveland, OH 44113

Phone 216.241.5340

Serves as a clearinghouse of informationfor regional organizations looking toshare approaches and solutions toregional problems. Provides research,technical support, and literature, includ-ing The Regional Civic OrganizationNetwork Directory.

Rocky Mountain Institute1739 Snowmass Creek RoadSnowmass, CO 81654-9199

Phone 970.927.3851Web site www.rmi.org

42

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Fosters the efficient and sustainable useof resources as a path to global security.Programs cover a variety of areasincluding transportation, water use,and collaborative, community-basedeconomic development. Publicationsinclude Paying for Growth, Prosperingfrom Development, which points out theeconomic costs and benefits of growthfor cities and towns.

Rural Economic Policy ProgamThe Aspen Institute1333 New Hampshire Avenue, NWSuite 1070Washington, DC 20036

Phone 202.736.5800Web site www.aspeninst.org/dirl

polpro/REPP/REPPl.html

Fosters collaborative learning, leader-ship, and innovation to advance ruralcommunity and economic developmentin the U.S. Publications include RuralCommunities in the Path ofDevelopment: Stories of Growth, Conflictand Cooperation, which discussesgrowth in rural communities anddescribes a strategy for sustainabledevelopment.

Sierra Business CouncilBox 2428Truckee, CA 96160


Works to secure the economic and envi-ronmental health of the Sierra Nevadaregion. Its publication, Planning forProsperity: Building SuccessfulCommunities in the Sierra Nevada,uses a case study approach to cover awide range of development issues.Although written about Sierra Nevadacommunities, its lessons are useful inother rural areas.

Small Towns InstituteThird and PoplarP.O. Box 517Ellensberg, WA 98926

Phone 509.925.1830

Provides information on small-townliving, focusing on historic preservation,employment resources, communitydevelopment, and environmental pro-grams. Publishes the journal, SmallTown, which uses case studies to explorethe challenges small towns face.

SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNMES RESOURCES 37

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Sonoran Institute7290 E. Broadway Blvd., #MTucson, AZ 85710


Promotes community-based strategiesthat preserve the ecological integrityof protected lands while meeting theeconomic aspirations of adjoininglandowners and communities. Itsmission is based on the conviction thatcommunity-driven and inclusiveapproaches to conservation producethe most effective results.

Study Circles Resource Center (SCRC)PO. Box 203Pomfret, CT 06258


Project of the Topsfield Foundation, Inc.,a nonprofit, nonpartisan foundationdedicated to advancing deliberativedemocracy and improving the qualityof public life in the U.S. SCRC helpscommunities organize study circlessmall-group, democratic, highly partici-patory discussions. Produces topicalissue guides and "how-to" publications;provides organizing and networkingassistance. Often works in partnershipwith its sister project, CongressionalExchange (CX).

Surface Transportation Policy Project1400 16th Street, NW Suite 300Washington, DC 20036

Phone 202.466.2636Web site www.transact.org

Network of diverse organizations, coali-tions, and grassroots groups that aims toensure that transportation policy andinvestments help conserve energy pro-tect environmental and esthetic qualitystrengthen the economy, promote socialequity and make communities more liv-able. Publications include The Directoryof Transportation Reform Resources,which is available as a book or as asearchable database on STPP's website.

The Thoreau Institute14417 SE LaurieOak Grove, OR 97267

Phone 503.652.7049Web site www.ti.org

Conducts research, education, and con-sulting to find ways to protect the envi-

ronment without big government.Publishes Different Drummer magazineand reports on natural resources and theenvironment.

Urban Land Institute1025 Thomas Jefferson St., NW Suite 500Washington, DC 20007-5201

Phone 202.624.7000

Direct research questions to Rick Davis,information specialist

Phone 202.624.7117Web site www.uli.org/

Provides information on urban planning,growth, and development. Prioritiesinclude "smart growth," urban revitaliza-tion, brownfields, regionalism, tax basesharing, transportation, and affordablehousing. Publications include PullingTogether: A Land Use and DevelopmentConsensus Building Manual.

WEB SITES

In tandem with the web sites for organi-zations listed in the guide, these sitesoffer a sampling of Internet resources ongrowth and community development.

Center of Excellence for SustainableDevelopment

www.sustainable.doe.gov

Center on Urban and MetropolitanPolicy, The Brookings Institution

www.brook.edu/ES/URBANCEN/URBAN_hp.htm

Citistates Group

www.citistates.com

Highlights examples and resources forregionalism; includes index of NealPeirce's columns.

Civic Practices Network

www.cpn.org

Online journal of tools, stories, and "bestpractices" of communityempowerment and civic renewal.

Empowerment Zones and EnterpriseCommunities Resource Pagewww.ezec.gov/index.html

38 SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNTHES RESOURCES

EPA Transportation Partners: LinksBetween Transportation and theEnvironmentwww.epa.gov/tp

Green Mountain Institute forEnvironmental Democracywww.gmied.org

Includes links to financial and technicalassistance resources for collaborativedecision-making, especially on environ-mental issues.

ISTEA information and links to SurfaceTransportation Policy Projectwww.istea.org

ISTEA is the federal government'sIntermodal Surface TransportationEfficiency Act. Web site provides dailyupdates, analysis, and strategies foraction on transportation policy issues.

Planner's Web: City and RegionalPlanning Resources

www.plannersweb.com

Sustainable Communities Networkwww.sustainable.org

Publishes resource guide on sustainabledevelopment. Sections include "CreatingCommunity," "Living Sustainably,""Smart Growth," and a reference library.

U.S. Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopmentwww.hud.gov

U.S. Department of Transportationwww.dot.gov

University of Arizona College ofAgriculture, Water Resources ResearchCenter

ag.arizona.edu/partners

Contains the Partnership Handbook, aresource for community-based groupsaddressing natural resource, land use, orenvironmental issues.

43

PUBLICATIONS ANDOTHER RESOURCES

Alexander, Christopher et al. 1987 APattern Language London: OxfordUniversity Press. An extensiveexploration of patterns in designand how they affect us emotional-ly and socially. An exceptionalanalysis of how urban develop-ment both reflects who we areand dictates how we experiencedaily life.

Bank of America et al. 1996 BeyondSprawl: New Patterns of Growth toFit the New California SanFrancisco: Bank of AmericaCorporation

Bauen, Rebecca et al. 1996Sustainable Community ChecklistSeattle: Northwest Policy Center,University of Washington. A work-book designed to help communi-ties involve residents in exploringsustainability and moving forwardin community action.

Brower, David et aL 1984 ManagingDevelopment in Small TownsWashington, DC: Planner's Press.An extensive look at the tools andtechniques that small towns canuse to manage growth.

Calthorpe, Peter 1993 The NextAmerican Metropolis: Ecology,Community, and the AmericanDream Princeton, NJ: PrincetonArchitectural Press. Offers alterna-tives to existing building patternsand development policies, favor-ing a more sustainable approachtoWard growth.

Carlson, Daniel with Lisa Wormserand Cy Ulberg 1985 At Road's End:Transportation'and Land-UseChoices for CommunitiesWashington, DC: Island Press

Chattanooga Venture 1992Chattanooga: a Community witha Vision Chattanooga, TN:

Chattanooga Venture. Video. Shortdocumentary showing how com-munity members were involved inChattanooga's Vision 2000 project.Includes The Facilitator's Manual.(Chattanooga Venture, 506 BroadStreet, Chattanooga, TN 37402.)

Chinitz, Benjamin 1990 "GrowthManagement: Good for the Town,Bad for the Nation?" Journal of theAmerican Planning Association,Winter. Argues that local growthmanagement imposes more coststhan benefits.

Dodge, William R. 1996 RegionalExcellence: Governing Together toCompete Globally and FlourishLocally Washington, DC: NationalLeague of Cities. Documents theupsurge of collaboration andpublic/private partnerships inregions across the U.S.

Durning, Alan Thein 1996 The Carand the City: 24 Steps to SafeStreets and Healthy CommunitiesSeattle, WA: Northwest Environ-ment Watch. Overview of origins,dynamics, and solutions to theproblem of sprawl in the PacificNorthwest. An informative bookfor readers in any part of thecountry.

Engwicht, David 1993 ReclaimingOur Towns and Cities: BetterLiving with Less TrafficPhiladelphia: New SocietyPublishers. Offers new perspec-tives, concrete examples, andpractical hints for those who wantto make their towns and citiesmore livable.

Garreau, Joel 1991 Edge City: Life onthe New Frontier New York:Doubleday. Chronicles the grow-ing trend of suburbanization inAmerica. From the creation ofdowntowns, to suburbs, to malls,and finally to edge cities, Garreauexplores the economic and socio-logical catalysts behind thegrowth of modern America.

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Goldsmith, Stephen 1997 TheTwenty-first Century City:Resurrecting Urban AmericaWashington, DC: RegneryPublishing. Written by the innova-tive mayor of Indianapolis, offersa practical, inside look at how thatcity turned around its urbandecline while cutting taxes.

Gordon, Peter and HarryW.Richardson 1998 "Why Sprawl IsGood" Cascade Policy Institute onwww.CascadePolicy.org/growth/gordon.htm

Hayward, Steven E 1994 Preservingthe American Dream: The Factsabout Suburban Communitiesand Housing Choice SanFrancisco: Pacific ResearchInstitute for Public Policy. Arguesthat suburban housing develop-ment prepares the way for eco-nomic growth, is a positive con-tributor to California's economy,and is the cornerstone of oppor-tunity for families. Counters theconventional wisdom that stigma-tizes suburban housing growth assprawl.

Hiss, Tony 1991 The Experience ofPlace New York: Vintage Books.Describes how we can find practi-cal ways to improve the look, feel,and usefulness of different typesof places by paying close atten-tion to the many ways urban andrural landscapes affect us.

Howe, Jim et al. 1997 BalancingNature and Commerce in GatewayCommunities Washington, DC:Island Press. Looks at buildingsuccessful communities *adjacentto key public lands. Contains criti-cal exploration of tourism, qualityof life, visioning, regulation, andassessment of local assets andresources. Provides guidance forbuilding on local assets and bal-ancing landowner and communi-ty interests.

SMAIrr TAU( RIK GROM/ING COMMUNITIES RESOURCES 39

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Hughes, Ken et al. 1996 Growth inNew Mexico: Impacts and OptionsSanta Fe: Local GovernmentDivision. Impacts of growth inNew Mexico and options for man-aging growth. Its comprehensiveapproach and exploration ofstrategies being used in otherstates are of interest to anyoneconcerned with state and localgovernment policies.

Jacobs, Jane 1993 The Death and Lifeof Great American Cities New York,NY: Modern Library At a timewhen the term "inner city" is syn-onymous with poverty and desti-tution, this text reminds us thatcities are the centers of civiliza-tion, of business, and of culture.

Katz, Peter 1993 The New Urbanism:Toward anArchitecture ofCommunity New York: McGraw-Hill. Walks the reader throughplanning strategies as they affectregions, neighborhoods, and indi-vidual blocks, and provides casestudies and examples.

Kretzman, John P. and John L.McKnight 1993 BuildingCommunities from the Inside Out:A Path Toward Finding andMobilizing a Community's AssetsChicago: ACTA Publications.Describes how to strengthencommunities by building on localassets instead of focusing onneeds. Provides many examplesfrom communities across thecountry.

Kunstler, James Howard 1994 TheGeography of Nowhere: The Riseand Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape New York:Touchstone Books. Critique of thegovernment and industrial forcesthat have fueled the suburbaniza-tion of America. Explores thepractice of urban planning basedon the automobile and its result:endless tract home developmentsand strip malls, shadowed bypoor, decaying inner cities.

Lappe, Frances Moore and PaulMartin Du Bois 1994 TheQuickening of America:Rebuilding Our Nation, RemakingOur Lives San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc. Grassroots testimonialsto the power of citizen action.Describes the approaches, suc-cesses and challenges met bycommunity organizers across thecountry

Lummis, Cynthia ed. 1997Wyoming, Like No Place on Earth:Ways to Conserve Wyoming'sWonderful Open LandsA GuideBook Cheyenne, WY: TheGovernor's Office. Outlines theissues associated with the lossand protection of open space anddescribes landowner tools andregulatory techniques that can beused to manage development topreserve open space. Appropriatefor anyone interested in landconservation.

Moe, Richard and Carter Wilkie 1997Changing Places: RebuildingCommunity in the Age of SprawlNew York: Henry Holt and Co.Citing the social and economicconsequences of suburban devel-opment and automobile-basedplanning, authors call for a com-mitment to inner-city restorationand the revitalizing of our urbancommunities.

Mantell, Michael et al. 1989Creating Successful Communities:A Guidebook to GrowthManagement StrategiesWashington, DC: Island Press.Guide to local land-use planningand conservation tools.

O'Toole, Randal 1996 The VanishingAutomobile and Other UrbanMyths: A Critique of NewUrbanism & Portland's Metro 2040Plan Oak Grove, OR: The ThoreauInstitute. Argues against thevision and strategies of "newurbanist" approaches to urbandevelopment, offering an alterna-

40 SmART TALK FOH GROWING COMMUNITIES RESOURCFS 4 5

five to planning that the authorcalls "People 2000."

Orfield, Myron 1997 Metropolitics: ARegional Agenda for Communityand Stability Washington, DC: TheBrookings Institution Press.Describes a Twin Cities (Minneso-ta) coalition of citizen groups,government, and members of the .

business community that formeda political alliance between thecentral cities, declining inner sub-urbs, and developing suburbs.

Peirce, Neal R. 1993 Citistates: HowUrban American Can Prosper in aCompetitive World Washington,DC: Seven Locks Press. Challengesthe traditional divisions betweenurban and suburban communi-ties; argues for broader, metropol-itan solutions to developmentissues.

Rusk, David 1993 Cities WithoutSuburbs Washington, DC:Woodrow Wilson Center Press.Offers a detailed account ofthe social and economic forcesthat have spurred and shapedurban growth. Suggests strategiesto change current patterns ofdevelopment.

Vermont Natural Resources Council1992 Citizen's Action GuideMontpelier, VT: Vermont NaturalResources Council. Guidelines forgetting citizens involved, evaluat-ing and responding to develop-ment proposals, and conservingand protecting communityresources.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSO 0 0 0 OOOOOOO C 0 0 6 OOOOO 0 0 000 0 0 0

Aspecial thanks goes to those people who test-ed drafts of this guide. We learned a great dealfrom their reviews of the materials and from

their observations of the field tests. They are: KentNewman with the Wallace House Foundation in DesMoines, Iowa; Marlene Rebori-Tull with the WesternArea Extension of the University of Nevada in Reno;and the team from Leadership Albuquerque (NewMexico) who organized a pilot community-widestudy circle program. The Albuquerque organizersinclude Christina Carillo, Claudia GayheartCrawford, Harrison Higgins, Becky Jakus, TameraMounteer, Diane Sawyer, and Brent Tiano. Thanksalso to Albuquerque study circle facilitators JenniferManriquez Cornish and Alexandra Gardner Ladd fortheir insightful comments.

Smart Talk for Growing Communities has beenshaped by the many people who took the time toread it and offer constructive criticisms and usefulsuggestions. These reviewers, whose names are list-ed here, provided invaluable guidance in aligningthis discussion guide with what people in commu-nities across the country are concerned about,know, and want to discuss. Whatever errors remainin this guide are the responsibility of CongressionalExchange.

Debra L. Bassert, Senior Land Use Planner, NationalAssociation of Home Builders, Washington, DC

John Charles, Environmental Policy Director,Cascade Policy Institute, Portland, OR

David Cornicelli, Environmental Education Director,Seventh Generation, Elyria, OH

John A. Fenner, Executive Director, TransylvaniaDispute Settlement Center, Brevard, NC

Julia Freedgood, Director of Farmland AdvisoryServices, American Farmland Trust,Northampton, MA

Dennis Glick, Greater Yellowstone Coalition,Bozeman, MT

Roz Greenstein, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy,Cambridge, MA

Tracy Grubbs, Associate Director, Sierra BusinessCouncil, Truckee, CA

Steven Hayward, Bradley Fellow, The HeritageFoundation, Washington, DC

Tony Hiss, Taub Urban Research Center, New YorkUniversity, NY

Ross Korves, Deputy Chief Economist and AssociateDirector, American Farm Bureau Federation,Washington, DC

Jim Kunde; Executive Director, Coalition to ImproveManagement in State and Local Government,Arlington, TX

Shelley Metzenbaum, Senior Fellow and VisitingProfessor, School of Public Affairs, University ofMaryland, College Park, MD

Lee Novak, Research Associate, Rocky MountainInstitute, Snowmass, CO

Kate O'Neill, Executive Director, The RoundtableCenter, Portland, ME

Randal O'Toole, Economist, The Thoreau Institute,Oak Grove, OR

Judith Pedersen-Benn, Community EducationConsultant, Petersen, MN

William Potapchuck, Executive Director, Programfor Community Problem Solving, Washington, DC

Brian Reilly, Program Officer, The JohnsonFoundation, Racine WI

John Shepard, Assistant Director, The SonoranInstitute, Tucson, AZ

Mary L. Walsh, Director, Climate Change Learningand Information Center, Amherst, MA

Hank Warren, The Roundtable Center, CapeElizabeth, ME

Special thanks go to the staff of the Study CirclesResource Center for their advice and insight

especially Molly Holme Barrett, Cathy Flavin-McDonald, Matt Leighninger, Martha McCoy,Francine Nichols, and Topsfield Foundationfounder and president Paul Aicher.

Congressional Exchange1120 G Street NW Suite 730Washington DC 20005


This guide is a manual for studycircle organizers and facilitators.The Busy Citizen's edition, acompanion handout for studycircle participants, is also availablefrom Congressional Exchange.

A project of the Topsfield Foundation, Inc. 1 74

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SMART TALK

FOR GROWING

COMMUNITIES0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Meeting the

Challenges of Gro

and Development

The Busy Citizen's guide for

public dialogue and problem

solving

Congressional Exchange A project of the Topsfzeld Foundation, Inc.

4 9

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CONGRESSIONAL EXCHANGE1120 G Street NW Suite 730Washington, DC 20005Phone 202.393.1441Fax 202.626.4978E-mail [email protected]

WESSi

5 0

Congressional Exchange (CX) is a project ofthe Topsfield Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit,nonpartisan foundation dedicated to advancingdeliberative democracy and improving thequality of life in the United States. CX carriesout this mission by bringing citizens and publicofficials together in study circlessmall-group,democratic, highly participatory discussionsabout the nation's most important challenges.CX provides technical assistance and publica-tions for individuals and organizations who areworking to promote study circle dialoguebetween citizens and public officials, with aparticular emphasis on members of Congress.

Congressional Exchange often works in partner-ship with its sister project, the Study CirclesResource Center (SCRC). Much of SCRC's workcenters on promoting the development ofcommunity-wide study circle programs orga-nized by broad-based sponsoring coalitions andinvolving large numbers of participants. ContactSCRC for help with organizing community-widestudy circle programs. (Please see the insideback cover for SCRC's contact information.)

WRITING AND RESEARCHHarbinger InstituteMichele Archie and Howard D Terry

RESEARCH ASSISTANCEReem Ghandour

EDITING AND DESIGNIWo Ducks DesignSusie DuckworthDesignerCarolyn DuckworthEditor and Project Manager

MANAGING EDITOR AND PROJECT DIRECTORPatrick L. Scully

Cover Photo CreditsCouple looking at home plans, dilapidated cityscape, and chil-dren watching street paving furnished by UniPhoto PictureAgency, Washington, DC. Rush hour traffic and strip mall signsfurnished by PhotoDisc at www.photodisc.com. Urban growthboundary around Portland, Oregon, from the collection of Mr.Rich Frishman, Everett, Washington.

C) 1998 Topsfield Foundation, Inc.Printed in the United States on recycled paper using soy ink.

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SMART 'MK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIESMeeting the Challenges of Growth and Development

INTRODUCTIONWhy should we take part in study circles on growth? 2

What is "growth"?How can study circles help?What's in this discussion guide?What is a study circle?Making the most of your study circleGround rules for useful discussions

DISCUSSION MATERIALS

SESSION 1 How is growth changing our community? 6

SESSION 2 Why is our community experiencing these changes? 10

SESSION 3 What are our options for addressing growth issues? 13

SESSION 4 Meeting with public officials 20

SESSION 5 Shaping the future:What can we do in our community? 22

GLOSSARY 27

RESOURCES FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AND ACTION 30

OrganizationsWeb sites

51

INTRODUCTION0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Why Should We Take PartIn Study Circles On Growth?

ARE YOU...Stuck in traffic?

0 Worried about how your community will payfor new schools and sewer systems?

0 Watching fields being turned into subdivisions?

0 Questioning whether you can afford your ownhome?

Afraid to open your property tax bill?0 Puzzled by new strips of commercial and

housing development?

0 Wondering what's happening to the way oflife you cherish?

WHAT IF...0 The economy seems more vital than before?

0 Newcomers are bringing welcomed energy tocivic and cultural activities?

0 The value of your home or land is on the rise?

0 You now have more convenience and choices?

0 You appreciate the lifestyle afforded by thenew homes and housing developments?

These are ALL signs of rapidly growingcommunities!

Rapid growth changes communities. Itcreates new choices, new problems, newopportunities, and new dilemmas. It canraise a new set of issues or sharpen oldones. These "growing pains" aren't likelyto go away if they're simply left alone.That's why more and more communitiesare coming together in study circles tofind ways of making growth work forthem.

El WHAT IS "GROWTH"?Communities' growing pains oftencan be traced back to two main kindsof growth: One is a rapidly growingpopulation. The other is expandingphysical developmentthe growing,often sprawling, "footprint" that acommunity makes on the land.

In some communities, these twokinds of growth go hand in hand. Forexample, in rural areas across thecountry, population is growing andphysical development is expanding.

Many of these communities are facedwith the challenge of "rural sprawl"the effect of people building housesfar apart from one another over whatwas once open countryside outsideof town. Some people feel that thiskind of growth makes it difficult tokeep a small-town atmosphere andthe rural feel of the surroundinglandscape. The effects are felt moststrongly in the fastest-growingplacesthose that attract retirees,serve as recreational centers, provideaccess to public lands, or sit at whatone journalist terms "the rural limitsof a commute" to jobs in a metropol-itan area.

In other places, physical develop-ment is expanding faster than thepopulation. This is true in manymetropolitan areas. For example,between 1970 and 1990, populationin the Cleveland area fell by 11 per-cent. But the urbanized area around


Clevelandthe shopping centers,business districts, and housingdevelopmentsgrew by one-third.In metropolitan areas across thecountry, central cities and oldersuburbs are losing population whilenewer suburbs, "edge cities," andbrand new developments expand.

0 HOW CAN STUDY CIRCLESHELP?Study circles bring people together totalk about an issue. By talking aboutgrowth, participants can gain a clear-er understanding of how and whygrowth is happening, and whateffects it's having. Participants alsoget new ideas about what they cando to help their community growinto the kind of place they are happyto call home.

To make progress on the issuesraised by rapid growth, you need toreach out to people throughout thecommunity. Study circles addressthis need by providing a place whereall kinds of lieople can feel comfort-able. Moreover, study circles canserve as springboardsparticipantsoften become more active on othercommunity issues.

Study circles also provide a way tobring citizens together with publicofficials from City Hall to Congress towork on the public policy aspects ofthese issues. At its heart, growth is acommunity issue. But the solutionsto growth issues can't be found orcarried out strictly at the local level.Each community's situation andchoices are influenced by outsideforces. These include patterns ofdevelopment within the region; state

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land use, school funding, and eco-nomic development policies; federalenvironmental regulations and trans-portation policies; and internationaltrade agreements. Coming togetherin study circle sessions with publicofficials helps citizens understandthis broader context. And publicofficials benefit from citizens' per-spectives and ideas.

No group, whether it's a chamberof commerce, civic group, citycouncil, county government, statelegislature, or federal agency, canfind the answers to growth issuesalone. Study circles on growth can bean important step in bringing yourcommunity together in its search forunderstanding and solutions.

0 WHAT'S IN THIS DISCUSSIONGUIDE?Smart Talk for Growing Communitiesincludes a series of five sessions thatcan help you move from understand-ing to effective action in partnershipwith fellow community membersand government leaders.

SESSION 1How is growth changing ourcommunity?

Get to know other group members,listen to each others' hopes andconcerns for your community, andtalk about how growth is affectingyour community.

SESSION 2Why is our community experiencingthese changes?

Explore what growth looks like inyour community and why it'shappening.

53SMART TALK FOR GRIMING CoMMINCTIES INTRODUCTION 3

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SESSION 3What are our options for addressinggrowth issues?

Consider some of your options foraddressing the issues that growthraises, using approaches fromother communities to generatenew ideas.

SESSION 4Meeting with public officials

Meet with public officials and par-ticipants in other study circles todiscuss how your communitymight address the challenges ofgrowth.

SESSION 5Shaping the future:What can we doin our community?

Identify individual and communityactions that can help solvegrowth problems and move yourcommunity in the direction ofyour brightest visions.

You'll also find a glossary that defineskey terms, and resources to help youwith further learning and action.

0 WHAT IS A STUDY CIRCLE?

The study circle is a simple processfor small-group deliberation. Studycircles create a setting for personallearning, building community andproblem solving. Here are some oftheir defining characteristics:

A study circle involves 10-15 peo-ple who come together to talk witheach other about public issues.They meet regularlyusually atleast three timesover a period ofweeks or months and work in ademocratic and collaborative way.A study circle is facilitated by aperson who serves the group bykeeping the discussion focused ,


and asking thought-provokingquestions. The study circle facilita-tor does not act as an expert on theissue.A study circle looks at an issuefrom many points of view. Studycircle facilitators and discussionmaterials help participantsconsider different viewpoints, feelcomfortable expressing their ownideas, and explore areas of com-mon ground.A study circle begins by exploringparticipants' personal connectionsto an issue. The discussion thenexpands to consider a range ofviews about the issue and how itmight be resolved. Finally, thestudy circle focuses on whatindividuals, organizations, andcommunities can do to address theissue. Study circles often promptpeople to take action individuallyand together with other communi-ty members.

Study circles can take place withinorganizations such as schools, work-places, neighborhood associations,clubs, congregations, or governmentagencies. In such settings, a singlegroup of study circle participantsmeeting for just a few weeks can layimportant groundwork for positivechange.

Study circles achieve their greatestpotential, however, when many aregoing on at the same time in thecommunity. These community-wideprograms usually have many diverseorganizations as sponsors orendorsers. Organizers of community-wide programs strive to involve asmany members of the community aspossible in the study circles.

5 4

CD MAKING THE MOST OF YOURSTUDY CIRCLE

In a study circle, how you talk witheach other is as important as whatyou talk about. These tips will helpmake your study circle enjoyable,thought-provoking, and productive:

Attend every study circle session.If everyone in your group makes agood effort to be at each meeting,you will build trust and familiarityThis is essential for a conversationthat explores the depths of howyou feel and think about the issue.And you won't feel the need toreview the details of each sessionfor those who did not attend.Be prepared.Read the discussion materialsbefore you come to each session.Each part of the study circle guideoffers questions, viewpoints, andideas to help you examine theissue. By reading the materialsahead of time, you will be ready tojump right in to the discussion.The guide also suggestssimple things you cando to keep your ownlearning and reflectiongoing between studycircle meetings.

Take responsibilityfor the quality of thediscussion.The study circle facilita-tor's job is to keep thediscussion movingand on track. In thedictionary, the word"facilitate" means "tomake easier." But

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participants are also responsiblefor "making things easier"! At thefirst session of your study circle,your group will set ground rulesabout what kind of discussions youwant to have and how you want totreat each other. Stick with theseground rules and help others dothe same.Remember that you are not alone.If your study circle is part of alarger, community-wide program,many other study circles may begoing on at the same time in yourarea. Join with them for a kick-offsession, to meet with public offi-cials, or for a wrap-up discussionabout taking action on the issue.These joint meetings help buildmomentum for addressing theissue across the community. Evenif no other study circles are goingon at the same time, rememberthat others in your community areconcerned about the issues thatyou are discussing.

GROUND RULESFOR USEFULDISCUSSIONS

Use these suggestions

as a starting pointfor coming up withyour own groundrules to guide yourstudy circle.

I Everyone gets a fair hearing.

2 Share "air time."

3 One person speaks at a time.Don't interrupt.

4 Speak for yourself, not forothers.

5 If you are offended, say so.

6 You can disagree, but don'tpersonalize it. Stick to theissue. No name-calling orstereotyping.

7 Everyone helps the facilitatorkeep the discussion movingand on track.

55SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES INTRODUC770N 5

000000000000

How Is Growth ChangingOur Conmmnity?

his first session lays the ground-work for the rest of your studycircle. It's an opportunity to get to

know other group members and shareyour hopes and concerns for your com-munity. You will also talk about howyour community is growing, and theChanges that growth brings with it.

PART 1 Discussion starter(30 minutes)

What do you like most about livinghere? What makes you glad you livehere?

What concerns brought you to thesediscussions about growth?

PART 2 How is growth affectingour community? (60 minutes)

Many similarities exist in the ways thatcommunities across the country aregrowing and changing shape. But eachcommunity is unique, too. Your commu-nity is experiencing its own set ofchanges and responding to growth indistinctive ways.

Your personal experiences and per-spectives are important starting pointsin understanding what's happening inyour community. What does growth looklike where you live? What effects is ithaving on your community?

Each of the following views is writtenin the voice of someone who holds thatview. Use these views to start talkingabout how growth is affecting your com-munity and to develop your own ideas.

6 SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSION I

VIEWS

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUTWHEN DISCUSSING THE VIEWS

O Which view is closest to your own?Why? What experiences and beliefthave helped form your views?

O Think about a view you don't agreewith. What might lead someone elseto agree with that view?

O What points of view would you liketo add?

VIEW 1Our town is losing its uniquecharacter.The way our community is growing isdestroying the things that make this anattractive and pleasant place to live. Thestrip developments with their boxystores and big parking lots are ugly andimpersonal. Houses seem to be every-where, even on the hillsides and in thefarmlands and forests surroundingtown. We've lost the natural setting forour community. And we are abandoningthe traditional look of our town's olderneighborhoods as we build new subdivi-sions with row after row of similar hous-es with no sidewalks or front porches.

VIEW 2The economy is thriving.Our community's economy has pickedup and this is a better place to live. Newjobs and businesses have brought asense of vitality. People have plenty ofchoices about where to shopit seems

5 6

there are stores to fit every price rangeand every need. And new housing devel-opments offer people the kind of homesthey want at a price they can afford.With the new jobs, it seems as thoughour young people, who not too long agofelt they had to move away to make adecent living, will decide to stay.

VIEW 3Traffic congestion is growing.Our community is developing in waysthat make us depend on our cars to getaround. Most people don't live nearwhere they work or go to school, andpublic transportation isn't available inmany places. The upshot is that we'respending more time in our cars onroads that cannot handle the growingtraffic. Elderly people and others whocan't drive are often isolated, and manyparents feel like chauffeurs to childrenwho need rides from school to soccerpractice to friends' houses.

VIEW 4Racial and economic isolationis worse.New suburban developments are grow-ing and thriving at the expense of theolder parts of our area. Upper and mid-dle class people continue to move out oftown and into the suburbs, while theurban core of our area becomes poorerand racially isolated. Even the older,working class suburbs are feeling thepinch because most new jobs and eco-nomic activity are in the newer suburbs.

People who live in the core urbanareas find it difficult to get to the newjobs being created in the suburbsandthey often can't afford to move to wherethe jobs are. To make things worse,

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many better-off suburbs shut out low-income people through zoning codesthat prevent affordable housing frombeing built in their neighborhoods.Whether it is intended to or not, thesethings create more racial and economicsegregation.

VIEW 5We're putting the environmentat risk.As development speeds up, our commu-nity is putting greater pressure on theenvironment. The urban area is sprawl-ing out into the surrounding farmlandsand open areas, pushing out wildlife.Roads, parking lots, and storm drainscover land that was once able to soak upwater to replenish the ground water andprevent flooding. Runoff from pavementand chemically treated lawns adds towater pollution problems. More carson the roads are polluting the air. Ourcommunity seems to be growing inways that make this a less healthy andpleasant place to live.

VIEW6Newcomers are improving theconnnunity.Some people like to complain aboutnewcomers changing the way things"have always been," but our communityhas become a better place with thesechanges. New businesses and more ser-vices are available. More parents areactive in school affairs. Communityactivities such as theater, town festivals,and civic clubs have received a boost ofnew energy. This feels like a morevibrant, active place to live than it didbefore.

57SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIFS SESSION I 7

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VIEW 7Some people are feeling economicpressure.Parts of our town are booming, but noteveryone is sharing in the benefits.People who have lived and worked herefor a long time, such as senior citizensand families that depend on local jobsfor their livelihoods, are getting shut outof the housing market by rising prices.And much of the new economic devel-opmentlike the big retail stores at theedge of townaren't creating the kindof full-time jobs with good wages andbenefits that are going to help localscontinue to live here.

VIEW 8New and traditional lifestylesconflict.People are moving to our communitybecause they like the lifestyle it offers.But many of these newcomers are dis-covering that they don't like some of thetraditional aspects of life here. Forexample, some people who move intohomes near working farms complain tolocal authorities about the smell ofmanure or dairy cows, noisy farm equip-ment running at night, or the use of pes-ticides. Long-time residents fear theirway of life is being threatened as thesesorts of situations create growing fric-tion among neighbors.

VIEW 9Public services are strained.As more and more people move to ourcommunity, local government is havinga hard time keeping up with all thedemand for public services. Schools areovercrowded and underfunded. Thepolice and fire departments are short on

8 SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSION I

staff and can't always provide the bestprotection. And it's not just the growingare.is that feel the pinch. The wholecommunity suffers as funds for buildingand maintaining roads across town arestretched thin, and community sewagetreatment systems and water suppliesare strained.


What did you learn from this meeting?What new insights did you get fromlistening to others?

What are one or two things you wouldmost like to change about this com-munity? What would you like to keepthe same?


During the next session, you'll explorewhy your community is experiencingthe changes you talked about in today'sdiscussion. Between now and the nextsession:

Pay attention to the different perspec-tives in your community about growthissues:

What do your family members,friends, and neighbors think abouthow the community is changing?

What's being covered in the media?

Take a closer look at the growth anddevelopment that is happening inyour community:

What kinds of growth and develop-ment do you see happening?

What do you particularly like?Especially dislike?

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An optional exercise for further discussion and personal exploration

BEING MINDFUL OF OUR SURROUNDINGS

piany people learn best through experi-ence. Here is one way for you to useyour own experiences to bring new

insights into your study circle. .

Author Tony Hiss believes that the lookand feel of our everyday surroundings affecteach of us more than we realize. He saysit's important to be aware of how ourcommunities are growing and changingbecause those changes deeply affect each ofus. We may feel these changes in our healthand happiness, our sense of safety, the kindof work we get done, how we interact withother people, and how we participate incommunity life.

Paying attention to our own experiencesas we move through our communities eachday is a first step in understanding how wereact to our surroundings. This understand-ing can help us change our communities inways that work for all of us.

AN EXERCISE FOR PAYING AITENTIONTO OUR DAILY EXPERIENCES

Think about one of your favorite placeswithin walking or driving distance fromwhere you live or work. Better yet, go there.Pay attention to what you experience there.

How do you get in touch with whatyou're experiencing? That's easy! Tony Hisspoints out that (even though we don'tusually pay attention to it) all of our mindsare wired up with special circuits thatdeeply drink in all the sights, sounds, tastesand other sensations flowing into us at alltimesa process he calls 'simultaneous per-ception: We use this information to stay intouch, at very deep levels, with other humanbeings and the rest of creation. And we candeliberately get in touch with this process

any time we have the time to relax andtake in our surroundings without hurry.As you relax, just try to give equal attentionto what your eyes are seeing, your earshearing, your nose sniffing, and your skinfeeling. At that moment, ask yourself:

Questions about your experience()How do I feel being here?

0 What is this place like? Do I noticespecific sights, sounds, or smells?

0 What elseother than what immediatelydraws my attentionam I aware of?

0 Do I tend to move quickly or slowlythrough this place? How does my experi-ence change as I walk or drive through it?

Questions about how your experiencehas Changed over timeOIs my experience here different during

the daytime, at night, on a weekday, aweekend, a holiday?

OIs my experience different than it usedto be? How?

0 Do I come here less often than I used to?More often? Why?

0 Is anything likely to happen to this placethat will change what I can experiencehere?

You may want to do this exercise severaltimes during the weeks that your studycircle meets. You can also use the questionsto help you be more aware of everyday expe-riences. You'll find that you have new ideasand insights to share in your discussions.

Adapted with permission from Tony Hiss, TheExperience of Place: A new way of looking at anddealing with our radically changing cities andcountryside. New York: Vintage Books, 1991.

59SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSION 1 9

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Why Is Our CommunityExperiencing These Changes?

s communities grow in differentways, people often disagreeabout why these changes are

happening. Discussing that question isan important step in creating a sharedunderstanding of the problems andopportunities of growth. That sharedunderstanding provides the groundworkfor effective solutions that enjoy broadsupport and commitment.

PART 1 Reflecting on whatwe're learning (30 mintites)

Since our last meeting, did you havea chance to talk to family members,friends, or neighbors to find out howthey feel about the changes thecommunity is going through? Whatconcerns, if any, do they have aboutthe way growth and development aretaking place?

Did you have a chance to look aroundthe community? What did you see?What did you like most about whatyou saw? What did you like least?

PART 2 Why are these changeshappening? (60 minutes)

Each of the following views offers a dif-ferent answer to the question, "Why isour community experiencing this kindof growth?" Each is written in the voiceof a person who holds that perspective.Use these views as a starting point foryour discussion and for developing yourown thoughts.


VIEWS

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUTWHEN DISCUSSING THE VIEWS

Which view is closest to your own?

Why? What experiences and belieft

have helped form your views?

El Think about a view you don't agreewith. What might lead someone elseto agree with that view?

El What points of view would you liketo add?

VIEW 1More Americans can choose whereand how they live.It's only natural for people to choose tolive and work in places that providemore elbow room. More people aremoving to outer suburbs, small towns,and rural areas because new technolo-gies like fax machines, computers, andthe Internet make it possible to workaway from central offices. Malls andlarge one-stop shopping centers make itcheaper and more convenient for peo-ple with busy schedules to obtain goodsand services. If people no longer feel theneed to go downtown to work and shop,who's to say that's a bad thing? Thesepatterns of development may look andfeel unfamiliar, but they're not necessar-ily bad. They're just different.

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VIEW 2Efforts to manage growth makethings worse.Our community's development isshaped in large part by the rules thatlocal government sets. Local planningefforts have not kept up with (much lessanticipated and creatively dealt with)the kinds of growth that have come ourway. In fact, they usually cost more thanprojected and provide fewer benefits.On top of that, they often make the situ-ation worse than it was before. Attemptsto manage growth are more likely to costtaxpayers a lot of money than they areto solve congestion, pollution, and otherproblems. A big part of the trouble isthat the average citizen has beenpushed out of local planning. Theprocess tends to be controlled by nar-row interests that don't have the wholecommunity in mind.

VIEW 3Our daily personal choices createproblems.Each one of us makes personal choicesthat create the patterns of developmentour community is experiencing. Weabandon our towns and cities for homesin the suburbs, making a self-fulfillingprophecy of our feelings that centralcities are dangerous, poor, and badlymanaged. We drive miles to save pen-nies on toothpaste or deodorant at thesuper-discount drug store, instead oftaking a few minutes to walk to the cor-ner store. We insist on using our cars,even when public transportation is

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readily available. And we vote againstlocal property taxes that are needed tohelp our schools and other public ser-vices keep up with the demands createdby new growth.

VIEW 4We don't consider the enviromnent.Too many communities are willing toallow growth that is harmful to the envi-ronment. In debates about specificdevelopment proposals, environmentalconcerns often seem less urgent and lessimportant than economic concerns. Andit's easy for communities to say that thislittle bit of water pollution or this littlepiece of wildlife habitat doesn't mattermuch. But they all add up. The bottomline is that we are not willing to restrictgrowth in the short term, even to assurethe long-term health of the environmentand the well-being of future generations.

VIEW 5Government policies promoteparticular types of growth.Public policies are biased toward partic-ular types of growth. These deeplyrooted biases help create problems suchas sprawl, traffic congestion, and a mis-match between where workers canafford to live and where they can findjobs. For example:

Too many state and federal dollars goto building new roads instead ofinvesting in public transportation.These roads encourage people tospend more time in their cars and todevelop areas farther and farther outof town.

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Taxes, service charges, and environ-mental regulations can make itdifficult to renovate buildings or oldindustrial sites in already-developedareas. Often, businesses find it easierto build on undeveloped Idnd.

V tocal government zoning codes canmake it difficult for working classpeople to find affordable housingnear the many new jobs being creat-ed in the booming suburbs. Examplesof these codes include requirementsthat homes be a certain size or havetwo-car garages.

PART 3 Identifying priorityissues (30 minutes)

When you think back on this discus-sion and on Session 1, what seem tobe the most important issues for thecommunity to address? Which aspectsof growth concern us most?

If your list could have only one or twoissues on it, which ones would youpick? Why?


During the next session, you'll start talk-ing about how your community,canmake progress on its most importantgrowth issues. Between now and thenext session, pay attention to who'sdoing what to address the challenges ofgrowth:

What's in the news?What's already happening in yourcommunity?How are people talking about newapproaches or different policies?What are other towns and citiesdoing?

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12 SMART TALK FOR GROWLNG COMMUNITIES SESSION 2

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What Are Our Options ForAddressing Growth Issues?

Communities across the countryare addressing growth issues inmany ways. This session helps

you explore some general approachesyour community might take.

PART 1 Our community'sfuture (10 minutes)

In this part, you will focus on thisquestion:What are one or two qualities that youmost want this community to have?

Qualities may be characteristics yourcommunity already has, or they may bequalities that would be new to the com-munity or that could be strengthened.

Your facilitator may lead the groupin a brainstorm to get a lot of ideas out.In a brainstorm, there are no right orwrong answers. People can ask ques-tions to help clarify someone's idea, butcriticizing or contradicting is notallowed. Each person has a chance tooffer one or two qualities. One personwrites all the ideas where everyone cansee them.

PART 2 Options for ourcommunity (90 minutes)

Beginning on page 14, you will findexamples of approaches that other com-munities and governments are using toaddress growth issues. Please keep inmind that they reflect different points ofview about the causes and effects ofgrowth, and different ideas about the

best way to address growth issues. Theseapproaches also can suggest new ideasfor your community.

QUESTIONS TO THINKABOUT WHEN DISCUSSINGTHE APPROACHES

CI Which approaches appeal to us and

why? What concerns or doubts do we

have about them?

0 Are nearby communities using innova-tive approaches that seem appealing?

0 What approach seems likely to takeour community in the direction wewant to go?

To explore one approach in more depth,use the questions that accompanyeach one.


Many study circles invite one or morepublic officials to join them for Session4. These questions will help you preparefor the next session:

What are the most important things totalk about with public officials?

What are our hopes and concerns forthe community when it comes togrowth?

Which strategies seem promising toaddress our concerns? Why?

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APPROACH 1

Use incentives and regulations to guide growthNew development can strain public services like roads and schools, and threatenfarmland, open space and other things that people value. Citizens often turn to gov-ernment to protect the good of the whole community when they see that happening.Some local government leaders are using creative ways to direct new development toareas that can handle its demands. Moreover, many state and federal agencies areusing incentives and regulations to help guide growth at the local level.

EXAMPLES

o Channeling government funds to areastargeted for growth. The State of Marylandhas a "Smart Growth" law. It helps commu-nities focus development in existing towncenters and other "Smart Growth Areas."State funds will be largely restricted tothese areas. That includes money for roadsand highways, business and economicdevelopment, school construction andrenovation, and housing.

0 Focusing development on old industrialsites and other unused urban land. The cityof Chicago encourages development on"brownfields"land that has been contami-nated by past activity such as dry cleaningor manufacturing. The city buys abandonedland, pays for the cleanup, and sells the landat low prices to interested developers. Newtax revenues from developing the land pay

QUESTIONS

for the investment in cleanup. The U.S.Environmental Protection Agency andmany states also have programs to supportthis kind of redevelopment.

0 Charging higher impact fees for develop-ment that takes place outside the citycenter. The city of Lancaster, California,charges new developments a fee that helpscover the cost of city services such as lawenforcement and street cleaning. The feeincreases with the distance from the citycenter.

0 Restricting new urban development to adefinable area. Portland, Oregon, has oneof the best known examples of an "urbangrowth boundary," which was put into place20 years ago. Inside the boundary, newdevelopment is allowed. Outside the boun-dary, the land is zoned for farms and forests.

1. Do enough people agree on what ourcommunity should look like for thiskind of approach to work? Where wouldwe want to see development directed?

2. What are the advantages and disadvan-tages to relying on government to directgrowth?

3. What effects might this approach haveon you, personally? On the ability ofpeople who own land to make theirown decisions about how the landshould be used? On our community'sability to grow?

14 SMART TALK FOR GROWING. COMMUNITIES SESSION3

4. Many proposals for directing growthsay we should increase density incertain areas while keeping it down inothers. What might this look like in ourcommunity? Examples include:

Building townhomes in a neighbor-hood of single-family homesAllowing people to rent out apart-ments in their basements or abovegaragesBuilding high-rise apartmentbuildingsDesigning a development with half-acre rather than three-acre lots

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APPROACH 2

Take charge of our economic futurePeople who live in growing communities often feel out of control, as if nothing they dowill make any difference. But many communities are being innovative about drawingon their own resources to protect what's important to them. These locally oriented andcontrolled approaches expand the community's control over its own development andeconomic decisions. Often individuals, community groups, and businesses take theleadbut government also can be involved.

EXAMPLES

0 Creating a community land trust to keephousing affordable. In Burlington,Vermont, a nonprofit trust holds land forthe benefit of the community. It helpsarrange financing so low- and moderate-income families can buy or rent thehousing that sits on its land. In this way, thetrust enables owners or tenants to rent orbuy homes without worrying about risingland prices. It also works with commercialland and buildings.

0 Building the "home grown" ecoilomy.In the Sea Islands of Georgia and SouthCarolina, an education organization calledthe Penn Center is working with islandersto strengthen the local economy and staveoff the pressures of development. A folk-artcenter teaches local arts like quilting

QUESTIONS

and sea-grass basket weaving and helpsartisans sell their work. Other projectsinclude a facility to process locally grownproduce and a community developmentcorporation.

0 Investing resources back into the commu-nity. Community loan funds, for example,can create a long-term source of fundingfor housing rehabilitation, businessstart-up, and other projects. A $20,000 loanfrom a community loan fund enabled acommunity development corporation(CDC) in Dallas, Texas, to Purchase 40houses that were slated for demolition.Building on that purchase, the CDC hasbeen able to buy, renovate, and lease 50housing units to families earning less than$12,000 per year.

1. What goals would we work toward ifwe took this approach? Do enoughpeople agree on what's good for ourcommunity to make this approachwork? Do we have resources tobuild on?

2. Is this approach likely to assure ourcommunity's well-being in the face ofthe growth we're experiencing?

3.

4.

How would our community change ifwe used our own resources to makesure that community members haveaccess to basicsthings like secureand rewarding jobs, living wages,affordable housing, child care, and ahealthy environment? Could we makea difference with this kind of approach?What effects might this approach haveon your own life? On your feelingsabout the community?

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SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSION3

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APPROACH 3

Build regional cooperationGrowth seldom affects only one community at a time. In many metropolitan areas, theurban core often suffers while newer suburbs on the fringe grow and thrive. In otherplaces, efforts to manage growth are overwhelmed by development outside city limits.Other communities find that their plans for growth conflict with the surroundingcounty's approach. When more than one community is involved, solo efforts to dealwith growth issues are not usually successful. Instead, communities are forgingalliances in broader regions or creating regional governing bodies. Other communitiesare working together on a less formal basis.

EXAMPLES

0 Creating a coalition of business, civic, andgovernment leaders. In the Cleveland,Ohio, area, public officials from the city andclose-in suburbs have teamed up to createthe "First Suburbs Consortium." The con-sortium is also supported by community,church, and business leaders. It is pushingfor changes in state and federal policiesthat encourage suburban sprawl in theregion and add to the problems of thedeclining urban center.

0 Pooling tax resources. The city of Pittsburghand other local governments in southwest-ern Pennsylvania joined together to createthe Allegheny Regional Asset District. Thedistrict collects funds from a local sales taxand distributes the money to the 128 citiesand towns in the region. The money is used

QUESTIONS

for libraries, parks, sports facilities, andcultural organizations. It is also used toreduce property taxes and provide tax relieffor seniOr citizens. Poorer communitiesreceive more revenue from this tax poolthan do wealthier communities.

0 Working together on land-use planning.The Cuyahoga Valley CommunitiesCouncil was formed by eleven communi-ties bordering the Cuyahoga Valley NationalRecreation Area in Ohio. The council hasestablished voluntary guidelines for devel-opment along the park boundary. Most ofthe towns have changed their zoning codesto reflect these guidelines, and landownersand developers usually go along with thecouncil's recommendations.

1. Are the benefits and costs of growth 4.the same for everyone in our area? Ifnot, what differences do we see?

2. Do the communities in this area seethemselves as being part of a largerregion? Do we have any experiences 5.with working together as a region?

3. Does looking at growth regionallymake sense for our community? Whyor why not?

16 SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSION3

Should communities (or parts of acommunity) that are doing well takeresponsibility for helping neighboringareas that are less fortunate? Why orwhy not?How might working regionally affectour community? What changes mightwe see in our community's ability tomake its own decisions about growthissues?

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APPROACH 4

Generate citizen energy and visionThere's one sure thing about growth: it can cause divisions in a community Peopleoften engage in "us versus them" arguments when controversial proposals comeup. But once a particular controversy dies down, many people stop participating incommunity affairs. Getting more citizens to be involvedand to stay involvedis animportant part of many communities' efforts to prevent flare-ups and move forwardtogether on growth issues. The change is usually started by citizens who share a con-cern about what's happening to the community It often begins with an opportunityfor community members to come together to talk about their concerns and hopes forthe future.

EXAMPLES

0 Getting people talking about the future.In Red Lodge, Montana, several citizensconvened a community workshop. Duringthe two-day meeting, residents talkedabout the kind of community they wantRed Lodge to be. They identified prioritiesfor action and formed citizen workinggroups to work on the ideas that came outof the workshop.

0 Mobilizing existing groups. The Chamberof Commerce, neighborhood associations,church congregations, or senior citizengroups can be strong voices for your com-munity's quality of life. In Ashland,Wisconsin, realtors distribute information

QUESTIONS

packets to purchasers of waterfront proper-ty The packets help new owners reducetheir impacts on the loons that breed andnest in the area's lakes and islands.

0 Making an inventory of local resourcesand trends. A resort was developed at themineral springs for which the town of HotSprings, North Carolina, was named. Thetown council appointed a committee tostudy the town's options for dealing withthe growth that was expected to follow.The committee began its work by surveyingresidents and holding public forums toidentify the town's most important scenic,historic, and cultural resources.

1. How would taking this approach helpus address our community's specificconcerns about growth? Is it likely towork quickly enough to get aheadofor even keep up withthe paceof growth and its effects on our

' community?2. Will we be able to translate the energy

and vision of citizens into meaningfulchanges?

3. Do we think people will participate?How would each of us, personally,be willing to participate in a citizen-

driven effort? What effect might otherresponsibilities or desires haveforexample our families, jobs, recreation,schooling, and so on?

4. How would our lives be different if ourcommunity took this approach? Wouldwe have responsibilities that we don'thave now?

5. What effect would taking thisapproach have on the ability of localgovernment to do its job?

6 7SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSION 3 17

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APPROACH 5

Reduce our dependence on government to manage growthLocal and regional governments often take the lead in planning for and controllinggrowth. But some communities aren't willing to give government more authority to tellpeople how and where to live. Other communities are not convinced that the usualapproaches are the most effective or efficient ways to deal with growth problems.Instead, they are achieving community goals by using the market, and by encouragingindividuals and businesses to take the initiative.

EXAMPLES

0 Making public transit a private business.Many cities have created public transporta-tion systems that are expensive and under-used. Some cities are saving money andimproving service by deregulating masstransit. That way, private operators cancompete with the local public transitagency. For example, in the San GabrielValley of California, bus service is competi-tively contracted out. Since this began,more people are riding the buses and thelocal government is saving money.

0 Allowing neighborhoods to control landuse. Most U.S. cities have zoning codes thatrestrict certain types of buildings to specificareas. Houston, Texas, is an exception.There, property owners make the decisionsthat affect the value of the land in eachneighborhood. Usually the decisions are

QUESTIONS

made by community or homeowners asso-ciations, or by subdivision developers. Theyoften use deed restrictions to control whatcan or cannot be done on a property. Theserestrictions are recorded on the propertydeed and passed on from owner to owner.

o Buikling public schools with privatefunds. In Castro Valley, California, thedeveloper of a large subdivision built anelementary school and donated it to thelocal school district. In return, the usual$1,500 charge for school fees was waived oneach of the 1,700 units in the subdivision.The developer saved money and at thesame time, offered the state a lesson in howto reduce school construction costs andtime. The school building was completed injust six months, and it cost 35 percent lessthan it would have if the state had built it.

1. How is government action affectingthe way our community is growing? Isit contributing to the problems we'reexperiencing? Is it helping solve oravoid problems?

2. Does it make sense to rely on govern-ment to manage growth? Why or whynot?

3. What benefits might come from relyingmore on individual initiative, responsi-bility, and creativity to shape our com-munity's development? What might thedownsides be?

SMMIT TALK FOR G ROWING COMMUNMES SESSION3

4. Who is likely to benefit from relyingless on government to guide growthdecisions?

5. What affect would this approach haveon our community's ability to plan forits future?

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APPROACH 6

Build laromentunit with a single issue

Communities face a big challenge just to start work on growth issues. The issues oftenseem too complex to understand or too overwhelming to address. One way to begin isto focus on a single issue that grabs the public's attention and is ripe for generatingaction. If the community makes progress on that issue, people become aware of othergrowth-related issues and help create energy for community action.

EXAMPLES

o Tackling traffic congestion. One way toease traffic headaches is to make it easierfor people to live near where they work anddo their errands. In the Seattle area, KeyBank offered employees the opportunity totake jobs at branches closer to where theylive. This project reduced commute lengthand made it easier for people to use otherways of getting to work. Other communitiesare changing zoning codes so that offices,shops, and homes can be mixed together.

El Challenging specific proposaLs. Wal-Marthad to adapt its plans for its first store inVermont. The company bowed to commu-nity pressure against large box stores on theoutskirts of Bennington. Wal-Mart set upshop in a renovated department storedowntown.

QUESTIONS

0 Bringing new life to town centers.Restoring a town's historic character cantempt businesses and residents to recon-sider their plans to move to the suburbs. InHot Springs, Arkansas, the city worked withHot Springs National Park to renovate a six-block downtown area next to the park'sbathhouses. Hot Springs created historicpreservation guidelines for the district andraised $500,000 through a temporary salestax to help fund the renovations. Both theNational Park Service and the state ofArkansas contributed matching funds.

1. Is there a starting point, such as aspecific issue, that makes sense forour community? Why? (In some com-munities, focusing on water quality orsupply makes sense. In others, thestarting point might be affordablehousing, schools, dying downtowns,or preserving open space.)

2. Do most people agree on the impor-tance of any one issue? Is there enoughagreement to spark and sustain action?

3. How would taldng on this issue help usaddress the larger issues of growth inour community?

4. Is our community likely to get wrappedup in endless debates about this oneissue that will distract us from the larg-er issues that growth raises?

6 9SMART TALK Foil GROWING COMMINITIKS SESSIONS 119

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Meeting WithPublic Officials

In this session, you will meet withpublic officials. You may choose tomeet with local or state elected offi-

cials, or with your congressional repre-sentative or senator. Or you may decideto invite staff from local, state, or federalgovernment departments. If your studycircle is part of a community-wide pro-gram, you will want to include partici-pants from other study circles, too.

Working on issues related to growthrequires cooperation from throughoutthe community and from different levelsof government. You can build thiscooperation by listening to how publicofficials and other community memberssee the issues and what needs to bedone.

PART 1 Preparing to meet withpublic officials (30 minutes)

Your study circle should take time toprepare for the meeting with publicofficials. It is especially important to doso if your study circle is part of a largercommunity-wide program. Spend sometime reflecting on earlier discussions.Everyone needs to know what to expectand be able to express the views of thewhole community

The ground rules listed above rightaddress some of the problems thatcome up when citizens and publicofficials meet together. Add them tothe ground rules you have been usingin earlier sessions. Make changes tothe list as you see fit.

20 SMART TAI.K FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSION 4

Review what you have already dis-cussed in your study circle by usingthe focus questions on page 21. Theywill guide your meeting.

GROUND RULES

We agree to:

O Have a give-and-takediscussion. We do not lectureor "sell" our point of view.

O Let everyone look at all sidesof an issue. No one has tohave an instant answer.

O Keep the discussion focusedon the issue.

0 Allow the news media toattend the meeting only ifwe all agree. Commentsduring the meeting are "offthe record" and not to beused in the media.

PART 2 Talldng with publicofficials (60-75 minutes)

When the public officials join yourmeeting, review the ground rules againand see if anyone, including the publicofficials, wants to add anything to thelist. Then, to get the discussion going,two or three people should share what

" 0

they have learned from the study circlesso far. Keep these comments brief andrelated to the focus questions. This willhelp keep people relaxed and on track.

Next, open up the discussion soeveryone can participate by sharingtheir own ideas and asking each otherquestions. Use the focus questions toguide the talk.

PART 3 Wrapping up(15-30 minutes)

To close the meeting, spend some timereflecting on what you have learnedfrom each other during the discussion.Make sure that everyone gets a chanceto speak.


By the end of this session, you may havea clearer sense of the possibilities andchallenges your community has inaddressing issues related to growth.Between now and the next meeting, youmight want to:

Read "What Can One Person Do?"and "What Can Our CommunityDo?" in Session 5, pages 23-26. Theyprovide ideas for action.

Think about what you can do on yourownand what you can do withothersto move toward the kind offuture you want for your community.

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FOCUS QUESTIONS

I What are our hopes and con-cerns for the community whenit comes to growth?

2 What are the most promisingideas for change? Why?

3 What questions or doubts dowe have about these ideas?

4 How can government help ourcommunity realize our hopesand address our concerns aboutgrowth?

5 What questions do we have forour public officials? Why arethese questions important?

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SMAItT TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSION 4 21

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Shaping The Future: WhatCan We Do In Our Coimnunity?

ripowns and cities that are grapplingwith growth are finding thateveryone needs to be part of the

solution to community problems. Broadpublic involvement is an important partof making the community a genuinelygood place to live.

You have already engaged in a formof action by coming together to learnfrom each other and share ideas.Finding ways to keep talking andinclude more people from the commu-nity is a very good next step. Study cir-cles often lead to action groups in whichsome people decide to put their ideasfrom the study circles into action.

This session will help you thinkabout actions that address the issuesyou have discussed in earlier study cir-cle sessions.

PART 1 Reflecting on ourmeeting with officials(15 minutes)

What did we learn from our conversa-tion with officeholders?

What new questions or concernscame up? What new opportunities dowe see?

PART 2 Thinldng together abouthow we can make a difference(45 minutes)

Think about actions you can take indi-vidually, and actions that need thebroader community involved. Look over

the action ideas, which begin on page23, to spark your thinking.

1. Think back to the issues and concernsdiscussed in our study circle. Whatwould you most like to see people inour community work on? Why?

2. What can you, personally, do to makea difference? Why is this actionimportant to you?

3. What actions might our communitytake? What ideas from other commu-nities seem promising? Why do youthink these actions will help make ourcommunity a better place to live?

4. What efforts are already going on inour community to address theseissues? What are individuals, busi-nesses, community organizations,government, and other groups doing?

PART 3 Setting priorities foraction (45 minutes)

Now, decide how to begin organizing foraction, and how to prepare for an actionforum.

1. What two or three ideas seem mostpractical and useful?

2. How can we turn these ideas intoreality? What kinds of information,support, or help do we need in orderto take these steps?

3. What resources are already in placethat could help us move ahead?Where is our community alreadystrong?

7 °22 SMART TALK Foit GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSIONS

4. Who could be involved? How can wereach them? What resources can wetali outside the community?

5. What is our next step?

6. Will we be meeting with other studycircles to share ideas for action? If so,what ideas do we want to present?

PART 4 Reflecting on our studycircle (15 minutes)

What new insights have you gained byparticipating in this study circle? Whathas made the biggest impact on howyou think about growth? on youractions in the community?

What did you find most valuableabout the study circle?

What worked well in your discussions?What didn't work very well? Whatchanges would you suggest for futurestudy circles?

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ACTION IDEASFlphese ideas reflect different viewsabout growth issues. Use them asa resource to jump-start your own

thinking. For example, ask yourselfwhich action steps best fit your viewsabout growth and its effect on yourcommunity.

WHAT CAN ONE PERSON DO?

Sometimes it seems that one personcan't do much to make a difference inthe community. But everything thathappens is built on individual actions,and each person's actions do matter!These individual actions can help yourcommunity grow into a place you areproud to call home.

0 Be active in neighborhood andcommunity groups. These grassrootsorganizations can help your commu-nity take charge of its future andmake a big difference in people's lives.

0 When you vote, think about what youwant your community to look likeover the long term. Consider yourcommunity's future when you decidehow you feel about issues like bondsfor purchasing open space, zoningchanges, development impact fees,privatizing bus service, or regionalgovernment cooperation. Learn whatthese proposals might mean for yourcommunity.

73SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSIONS 23

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0 Express your thoughts. Write lettersto the editor, communicate with yourpublic officials, talk about growthissues with neighbors, friends, family,and co-workers. Keep the dialogueand the learning going. Continueyour study circle.

0 Be an involved citizen. Participate inpublic meetings on growth and relat-ed issues. Volunteer for citizen taskforces. Join in community visioningefforts and follow-up actions.

0 Pay attention to how you travelaround your community. Thinkabout how the forms of transporta-tion you use affect your community,and your own feelings about whereyou live and how you spend yourtime. If you want to make a change,you might look into other forms oftransportation, flexible workingarrangements that cut down on theneed to commute, and other ways ofreducing your need to travel around.

0 Support public officials when theytake a constructive approach toresolving growth issues. Be a part of aconstituency that supports movingtoward your community's highestaspirations.

0 Consider the future of the communi-ty when you make business decisions.Think about the effects of thedecisions that you make about yourown property and investments. Wherewill you locate your business? Canyou hire and purchase locally?Shouldor how shouldyou developa piece of land? Where will you live inrelationship to where you work? Willyou renovate an historic buikling?

24 SMART TALK Foli GROWING COMMUNITIES SESSIONS

WHAT CAN OUR COMMUNITY DO?

The approaches outlined in Session 3offer examples of what communitiesacross the country are doing to makegrowth work for them. The followingideas might spark new ideas about thekinds of actions your community couldtake.

0 Decide what's important to protectand promote. Some communities inIowa, for example, use "corn suitabili-ty" ratings to guide zoning and plan-ning decisions so the best farmland isprotected. In Los Angeles, the city andthe L.A. Metropolitan TransitAuthority are working together to cutdown on sprawl and traffic conges-tion by encouraging high densitydevelopment around transit stations.

0 Preserve open space. Use conserva-tion easements to provide a financialincentive for owners not to developtheir land. Pass bond issues or a localsales tax for purchasing open spaceand park land. Some state govern-ments and federal agencies makemoney available to local governmentsand private land trusts to protectfarm and forest land, natural areas,and other open space. In the Chicagoarea, local and state governments andnongovernmental organizations areworking together to create a region-wide network of linked open spaces.

0 Change zoning codes to reflect yourcommunity's goals. For example, youmight decide to remove zoning codesthat require new developments toprovide off-street parking. Thischange could cut the cost of new

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housing developments, let the marketdecide how much parking space toprovide and how to pay for it, andhelp make your community friendlierfor pedestrians and alternative trans-portation. In Portland, Oregon, arecent permit for a downtown low-income housing development waivedthe requirement to provide off-streetparking. That waiver cut about$10,000 from the construction cost ofeach apartment.

0 Link housing with other communityissues. Residents of EastsideCommunity in Indiana-polis, Indiana,organized a community developmentcorporation to obtain private fundingfor a community housing project. Thegroup repaired old homes and soldthem for a profit. This revenue wasused to make investments in small,locally owned businesses and to buildan industrial park. The first loanmade by the New HampshireCommunity Loan Fund in Concordenabled a group of 13 families to buythe mobile home park where theylived. This purchase kept the landfrom being developed into high-priced condominiums.

0 Charge road-use fees to reduce trafficon congested highways. Making thefee highest during rush hour and verylow or nothing at night encouragespeople to find other ways to getwhere they're going, especially duringthe busiest times. This "congestionpricing" is being used by a privateroad company in Orange County,California. The company built a two-lane highway paralleling a crowded

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freeway. People using the highwaymust buy radio transponders thatsend out signals picked up at tollareas along the road. The toll is eithercharged to the user's credit card ordeducted from a prepaid amount.Highway users are willing to pay forthe convenience and speed of drivingon this less-crowded road.

0 Organize to challenge a specificproposaL When local officialsapproved plans for a large shoppingmall and office complex next toManassas National Battlefield Parkin Virginia, community memberscreated a broad-based coalition ofCivil War buffs, veterans groups,landowners, and conservationistsfrom the area. This local groupreached out across the country withtheir campaign, "Save the Battlefield."In less than a year, Congress addedthe land to the park.

0 Strengthen neighborhoods. Especiallyin urban areas, strong neighborhoodsare the building blocks of a healthycommunity. Community develop-ment corporations in Chicago havetaken the lead in renovating housingin urban neighborhoods, developingindustrial and commercial real estate,and marketing the neighborhoods'advantages. One neighborhoodorganization turned an old auto partswarehouse into a small businessincubator where new businessesshare technical support and officeequipment. Once businesses haveoutgrown their need for the incuba-tor, they are encouraged to continueto do business in the neighborhood.

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SMART TALK FOR GROWINO COMMUNITIES SESSION 25

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0 Get neighbors talking. A group of sixranching families near SteamboatSprings, Colorado, got together to talkabout how to protect their ranchesfrom encroaching development. Theyended up putting conservation ease-ments on 2,800 acres of land.

0 Help community members stayahead of the rising cost of living.Support efforts to reduce the taxesand regulations that may make itdifficult for companies to investprofitably in your community Forexample, the city government ofIndianapolis, Indiana, created aRegulatory Study Commission toeliminate outdated and counterpro-ductive rules that were stiflingeconomic development. Anotherapproach is to start a local currencysystem, such as those begun byMadison, Wisconsin, Ithaca, NewYork, and Bozeman, Montana. Localcurrcncy allows people to trade skills,services, and products for currencythat allows them to buy what theywant from other community mem-bers and many local merchants.

0 Reach beyond the traditional"movers and shakers" to develop abroad base of energy and support.In Maryville, Tennessee, the nonprofitFoothills Land Conservancy raised$1.3 million to buy a large tract ofland at the edge of the Great SmokyMountains National Park. Mediaappeals and a color brochure helpedconvince more than 3,300 peopleincluding 100 school and youthgroupsto donate money for pro-tecting this land from development.

26 SMART TALK Fon GitoWING CommuNmEs SESSION 5

0 Create ways for officials fromdifferent levels of government toexchange information and buildbetter working relationships. Publicofficials from Mohave County,Arizona, began convening forumsthat bring together officials fromlocal governments, state and federalagencies, and Indian tribes. Theforums have resulted in cooperativeagreements among governments andthe passage of a new state law givingthe county more authority to managegrowth.

0 Strengthen the local economy tobuffer the effects of growth. InDurham, North Carolina, the Centerfor Community Self-Help started acredit union and loan fund with $77raised by a bake sale. Among otherservices, the center and its relatedfinancial institutions (which havegrown tremendously since the bakesale days) provide assistance andloans for starting worker-ownedbusinesses.

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GU)SSA.RY0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 o 0 0 0

Affordable housingHomes or apartments that most people liv-ing in an area can afford to purchase or rent.Governments often define it as housing thatsomeone can afford who makes a certainpercentage of the area's median incomeoften around 70 percent. In many communi-ties, the issue of affordable housing centerson three questions: Do employees of localbusinesses have convenient access to hous-ing they can afford? Can long-standing localresidents like senior citizens remain in theircommunities? Will housing remain afford-able over the long term?

Alternative transportationMethods of travel other than car. Thesemethods include public transit such as rail,bus, and subway, and individual modes suchas bicycling and walking. Sometimes com-muter van services and carpooling are con-sidered alternative transportation becausethey offer an alternative to single-passengercommuting.

Bond fmancingLong-term financing used by local govern-ments. Bonds are sold to investors and mustbe paid back, with interest, usually over aperiod of ten or twenty years. They can beused to finance many community projectssuch as schools, open space preservation,libraries, and fire stations.

BrownfieldsUnused, often abandoned, properties thathave been contaminated by previous use.Many brownfield sites can be restored to lev-els acceptable for commercial or industrialuse. They are also attractive to developersbecause brownfields are usually served byroads, water, and sewer. However, liabilityconcerns often keep developers and busi-nesses from using this land.

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Community development corporations(CDC)Community-based organizations that workon issues ranging from revitalizing neighbor-hoods and commercial areas to culturalactivities and job training. They can becontrolled by the community's residents,often through membership, but sometimesthrough a confederation of other communityorganizations that band together to createthe CDC.

Community land trustNonprofit corporation created to hold landfor the benefit of a community Communityland trusts are democratically structured andanyone in the community can be a member.Other types of land trusts may hold land fora specific reason, such as conservation orkeeping the land in agricultural production.These types of trusts do not need to begoverned by the community in which theyhold land.

Community loan fundNonprofit corporation, or a program of anonprofit, that makes loans for projectswithin a community. Community loan fundsoften provide loans and technical assistanceto groups and projects that cannot get fund-ing through more traditional sources. Theycan serve as intermediaries between com-munity investors and borrowers. Communityloan funds get money by borrowing fromindividuals and institutions such as banks orfoundations.

Conservation easementAgreement between a landowner and gov-ernment agency or nonprofit organization(such as a land trust). The agreement limitsthe landowner's ability to develop land, oftenin exchange for cash and/or reduced proper-ty taxes. Conservation easements workbecause the legal right to use land in certain

SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNMES GLOSSARY 27

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ways can be separated from physical owner-ship of the land. For example, a conservationeasement on a ranch might allow the ownerto continue grazing cattle on the land, butprohibit selling land for housing develop-ments. Easements can have effect for alimited time or in perpetuity.

DensityProportion of people or residences to a givenamount of space, such as the number ofresidences per acre. Maximum or minimumdensity of development is often specified inzoning codes. Some local governmentslink allowable densities to other importantpublic benefits like affordable housing or theprotection of open space. For example, inreturn for building low- or moderate-incomehousing or preserving open space within thedevelopment, a developer might be given a"density bonus." This bonus allows thedeveloper to build more housing units peracre than typically allowed under zoningprovisions.

Development feesFees that local governments charge for newdevelopments. They support public services(fire and police protection or water andsewage treatment) or construction of newfacilities (schools, roads, or parks). Thesefees can be a one-time charge collected fromdevelopers, or a longer-term fee collectedfrom residents of a new development.

Edge cityUrban center that has grown up at the edgeof an established city. Author Joel Garreaucoined this phrase, which he used as the titleof his 1991 book about this new urban form.He notes that "they contain all the functionsa city ever has, albeit in a spread-out formthat few have come to recognize for what itis." According to Garreau, edge cities differfrom old-fashioned suburbs in that theyhave plenty of office and retail space and"more jobs than bedrooms." They are per-ceived as being one place, although the

28 SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES GLOSSARY

boundaries may be fuzzy; and they havedeveloped their "city" characteristics withinthe last thirty years.

Inner suburbsCommunities adjacent to large cities, oftenformed in the years after World War II whenmiddle-class families moved out from thecity to new homes in new suburbs. Overtime, the economies of many inner suburbshave declined and their middle-classresidents have moved to newer communitiesfarther away from the city center.

Land trustSee community land trust.

Land-use planningLocal government activity that lays outpolicies and standards governing the futurephysical development of a city or countyThe general plan (or town plan) is an overallblueprint for development based on thecommunity's goals. Often the general plan ofthe city or county is supplemented by morespecific community or neighborhood plans.Plans are updated periodically. (See zoning.)

Local (Or community) currencyLegal cuirency, issued by the people of acommunity to increase the local money sup-ply and improve their ability to provide fortheir own needs with local resources. Localcurrencies are spent within the communityamong individuals and businesses who agreeto accept them. They are often denominatedin hours-of-labor (and are sometimes called"hours") but can also be linked to the federalcurrency (for example, an "hour" might beworth $10).

Metropolitan areaCity and its surrounding area. Metropolitanareas are defined in different ways, such asby the extent of city services such as waterand sewer or a shared public transit system.The U.S. Census Bureau defines metropoli-tan areas in terms of certain population lev-els. No matter what the definition, the cities,

7 8

suburbs, and other communities in metro-politan areas have strong economic ties andother interests in common.

Open spaceLand largely free of residential and industrialdevelopment. This land may have a varietyof values for people and communities,including wildlife habitat, recreation access,and esthetic enjoyment. Farm lands andcommunity parks are generally considered tobe open space.

RegionalismView that a city and its surrounding area area single economic unit, despite the manypolitical jurisdictions that divide the region.Regional connections include environmentaland cultural links, roads and highways,shared public services, and other ties.Regionalists say that collaboration amongthe city, suburbs, surrounding rural areas,and towns will improve the well-being of theentire area. (See metropolitan area.)

SprawlLow-density development at the edgesof cities and towns that spreads out intopreviously undeveloped land. Sprawl'Oftenconsists of "strips" of commercial develop-ment along major roadways and highwayinterchanges, and spread-out residentialdevelopments, usually of detached singlefamily homes. In rural areas, residentialsprawl may have little relation to a towncenter. Some people believe that "sprawl"unfairly labels a growth pattern thatAmericans have been choosing for decades.

SubdivisionLarge piece of land that is divided into small-er lots on which houses are built. Homes insubdivisions are often similar in style andcost. They are serviced by roads, utilities, andother public services that were planned forand provided by the original developer. Inmost states and counties, subdivisions over acertain size must follow particular govern-ment regulations.

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SuburbResidential area located outside of a city ortown. Some suburbs have their own businessdistricts with shopping and offices.

Sustainable developmentDevelopment that satisfies current needswithout compromising the ability of futuregenerations to satisfy their own needs andaspirations. Advocates of sustainability areconcerned with social equity, and economicand environmental health.

Tax credits (or breaks)Reduced tax burden that promotes certaintypes of development or investment. Thesetax reductions may be written into tax codesgoverning everything from local or stateproperty taxes to federal income taxes.

ZoningLocal codes that govern the use and develop-ment of property. Zoning usually dividesa community into "zones" that allow onlycertain types of development. Performancezoning is another approach. It relies on acase-by-case review of proposed develop-ments using detailed "performancestandards," which specify how developmentsshould be designed and constructed. (Seeland-use planning.)

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SMART TALK FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES GLOSSARY 29

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For Further Discussion And Action

This is a sampling of the many resources available to inform your study circle discussions and to move beyond yourstudy circle to more learning, discussion, and action. Contact information is current as of November 1998.

ORGANIZATIONS

Alternative Energy ResourcesOrganization (AERO)25 S. Ewing, Suite 214Helena, MT 59601Phone 406.443.7272E-mail [email protected] to promoting sustainableresource use and rural community vitality

American Farm Bureau Federation225 Touhy Ave.Park Ridge, IL 60068Phone 847.685.8600Web site www.fb.comActive in local, state, national, and inter-national issues that affect the farmingcommunity.

American Farmland Trust1920 N Street, NW, Suite 400Washington, DC 20036Phone 202.659.5170Web site www.farmland.orgWorks to stop the loss of productive farm-land and to promote environmentallysound farming practices.

American Planning Association1776 Massachusetts Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20036Phone 202.872.0611Web site www.planning.orgPromotes planning and land use thatmeets economic, environmental, andcommunity development needs.

Cascade Policy Institute813 SW Alder Street, Suite 300Portland, OR 97205Phone 503.242.0900Web site www.cascadepolicy.orgPromotes answers to Oregon's public poli-cy questions from a limited-government,free-market perspective.

Center for CooperativesUniversity of Wisconsin230 Taylor Hall427 Lorch StreetMadison, WI 53703-1503Phone 608.262.3981Studies and promotes cooperative actionas a means of meeting economic andsocial needs of people.

The Center for Living DemocracyRR #1, Black Fox RoadBrattleboro, VT 05301Phone 802.254.1234Web site www.livingdemocracy.orgSupports grassroots efforts to regenerateour democracy.

Center for Neighborhood Technology2125 West North AvenueChicago, IL 60647

Phone 773.278.4800Web site www.cnt.orgPromotes public policies, new resources,and accountable authority that support sus-tainable, just and vital urban communities.

Equity Trust539 Beech Pond Rd.Voluntown, CT 06384Phone 860.376.6174Supports the development of communityland trusts and community supportedagriculture.

Greater Yellowstone CoalitionP.O. Box 1874Bozeman, MT 59771Phone 406.586.1593Web site www.desktop.org/gycPublishes Tools for Managing Growth inthe Greater Yellowstone Area, which out-lines growth management tools appropri-ate for communities across the country.

Harbinger InstitutePO. Box 689Bridger, MT 59014Phone 406.662.3244E-mail [email protected] consulting and training servicesthat support community, organizational,and personal development.

Institute for Community Economics57 School StreetSpringfield, MA 01105-1331Phone 413.746.8660Helps low-income communities addressfundamental problems related to lack ofcontrol over land, housing, and capital.

Institute for Cooperative CommunityDevelopmentP.O. Box 16193Manchester, NH 03106Phone 603.644.3124Helps communities construct competent,democratically-controlled, and results-ori-ented development organizations.

International City/County ManagementAssociation777 North Capitol St., NE, Suite 500Washington, DC 20002-4201Phone 202.289.4262Web site www.icma.orgProfessional and educational associationof city and county officials working tostrengthen the quality of local govem-ment. Publishes materials and sponsorsa variety of programs geared towardeducating and connecting localadministrators.

Joint Center for SustainableCommunitiesThe National Association of Counties440 First Street, NWWashington, DC 20001

30 SMART TALK Fort GROWING COMMUNrnES RESOURCES 8 0

Phone 202.393.6226OR

US Conference of Mayors1620 Eye Street, NWWashington, DC 20006Phone 202.293.7330Web site www.usmayors.org/sustainableHelps communities become more self-sufficient and sustainable by providinglocal elected officials with advice, infor-mation, and financial support.

Land Trust Alliance1319 F Street, NW Suite 501Washington, DC 20004Phone 202.638.4725Web site www.lta.orgSupports conservation in communitiesacross the country by providing informa-tion, training, and resources to peoplewho work through voluntary land trustorganizations.

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy113 Brattle StreetCambridge, MA 02138Phone 617.661.3016Studies and teaches land policy, includingland economics and land taxation.

The Local Government Conunission1414 K Street, Suite 250Sacramento, CA 95814Phone 916.448.1198Web site www.lgc.orgProvides technical assistance to local gov-ernments working to create and sustainhealthy environments, strong economies,and social equity.

National Association of Home Builders1201 15th Street, NWWashington, DC 20005Phone 202.822.0200Web site www.nahb.comProvides technical assistance to buildersand lobbies Congress on behalf of the con-struction and homebuilding industries.

National Association of RegionalCouncils1700 K Street NW, Suite 1300Washington, DC 20006Phone 202.457:0710Web site www.narc.orgOffers technical assistance, educationalservices, and public policy support tolocal government officials.

National Civic League1445 Market Street, Suite 300Denver, CO 80202-1728Phone 303.571.4343Web site www.ncLorgProvides technical assistance, publishing,and research to foster the practice ofcollaborative problem solving and democ-ratic decision making.

National League of Cities1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 500Washington, DC 20004Phone 202.626.3000Web site Www.n1c.orgOffers training, technical assistance,and information to municipal officers tohelp them improve the quality of localgovernment.

National 'frost for Historic Preservation1785 Massachusetts AVenue, NWWashington, DC 20036

Phone 202.588.6000Dedicated to preserving the nation'scultural heritage through information,technical assistance, research, and advo-cacy on preservation-based communityrevitalization.

1000 Friends of Oregon534 SW Third Ave., Suite 300Portland, OR 97204

Phone 503.497.1000Web site www.teleport.com/-winchest/

test/homepagl.htmlFocuses on land use, protection of agricul-tural and forest lands, community growth,and citizen participation in land use,planning and development.

Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy755 Sansome Street, Suite 450San Francisco, CA 94 1 1 1

Phone 415.989.0833Web site www.pacificresearch.orgAdvocates policies that emphasize freeeconomy, private initiative, and limitedgovernment on issues such as education,the environment, and social welfare.

Partners for Livable Communities1429 21st Street, NWWashington, DC 20036Phone 202.887.5990Web site www.nclorg/andpartners/plchtmCommitted to improving civic life througheconomic development and social equity.

President's Council on SustainableDevelopment1319 F Street, NWWashington, DC 20004Phone 202.408.5296Web site www.whitehouse.gov/PCSDAdvises the President on sustainabledevelopment; promotes new approachesto integrate economic, environmental,and equity issues; conducts outreach toeducate the public on the importance of amore sustainable America.

Program for Community Problem Solving1319 F Street, NWWashington, DC20004Phone 202.783.2961Helps communities develop a civic culturethat nurtures and supports communityproblem solving.

Regional Civic Organization Network50 Public Square, Suite 843Cleveland, OH 44113Phone 216.241.5340Serves as a clearinghouse of informationfor regional organizations looking to shareapproaches and solutions to regionalproblems.

Rodry Mountain Institute1739 Snowmass Creek RoadSnowmass, CO 81654-9199

Phone 970.927.3851Web site www.rini.orgFosters the efficient and sustainable use ofresources as a path to global security.

Rural Economic Policy ProgramThe Aspen Institute1333 New Hampshire Ave., NW, Suite 1070Washington, DC 20036Phone 202.736.5800Web site www.aspeninst.org/dir/polpro/

REPP/REPPI.htmlFosters collaborative learning, leadership,and innovation to advance rural communi-ty and economic development in the U.S.

Sierra Business CouncilBox 2428Truckee, CA 96160

Phone 916.582.4800E-mail [email protected] Planning for Prosperity:Building Successful Communities in theSierra Nevada, which covers a wide rangeof development issues that are useful inother rural areas.

Small Towns InstituteThird and PoplarPO. Box 517Ellensberg, WA 98926

Phone 509.925.1830Provides information on small-townliving, focusing on historic preservation,employment resources, community devel-opment, and environmental programs.

Smart Growth NetworkUSEPAUrban and Economic DevelopmentDivisionWashington, DC 20460Phone 202.260.2750Membership Phone 202.962.3591Web site www.smartgrowth.orgProvides a forum for member organiza-tions to create coalitions, share informa-tion, and facilitate smart growthinitiatives across the country. Publishesa bi-monthly newsletter, Getting Smart!

Sonoran Institute7290 E. Broadway Blvd., #MTucson, AZ 85710Phone 520.290.0828E-mail [email protected] community-based strategiesthat preserve the ecological integrityof protected lands while meeting theeconomic aspirations of adjoininglandowners and communities.

Study Circles Resource Center (SCRC)P.O. Box 203Pomfret, a 06258

Phone [email protected]

Helps communities organize studycirclessmall-group, democratic, highlyparticipatory discussions.

Surface Transportation Policy Project1400 16th Street, NW, Suite 300Washington, DC 20036Phone 202.466.2636Web site www.transact.orgAims to ensure that transportation policy

4

REST COPY AVAILAbi.,

and investments help conserve energ,protect environmental and esthetic quality,strengthen the economy, promote socialequity, and make communities more livable

The Thoreau Institute14417 SE LaurieOak Grove, OR 97267Phone 503.652.7049Web site www.ti.orgConducts research, education, andconsulting to find ways to protect theenvironment without big government.

Urban Land Institute1025 Thomas Jefferson St., NW, Suite 500Washington, DC 20007-5201Phone 202.624.7000Direct research questions to Rick Davis,information specialist-Phone 202.624.7117Web site www.uli.org/Provides information on urban planning,growth, and development.

WEB SITES

In tandem with the web sites for organiza-tions listed above, these sites offer asampling of Internet resources on growthand community development.

Center of Excellence for SustainableDevelopmentwww.sustainable.doe.gov

Center on Urban and MetropolitanPolicy, The Brookings Institutionwww.brook.edu/ES/URBANCEN/

URBAN_hp.htm

Citistates Groupwww.citistates.com

Civic Practices Networkwww.cpn.org

Empowerment Zones and EnterpriseCommunities Resource Pagewww.ezec.govlindex.html

EPA Transportation Partners: linksBetween Transportation and theEnvironmentwww.epa.gov/tp

Green Mountain Institute forEnvironmental Democracywww.gmied.org

ISTEA information and links to SurfaceDansportation Policy Projectwww.istea.org

Planner's Web: City and RegionalPlanning Resourceswww.plannersweb.com

Sustainable Communities Networkwww.sustainable.org

U.S. Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopmentwww.hud.gov

U.S. Department of Transportationwww.dotgov

University of Arizona College ofAgriculture, Water Resources ResearchCenterag.arizona.edu/partners

Congressional Exchange

1120 G Street NW Suite 730Washington DC 20005


This Busy Citizen's guide is a handoutfor study circle participants.A companion manual for organizersand facilitators is also available fromCongressional Exchange.

A project of the Topsfield Foundation, Inc.

U.S. Department of EducationOffice of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI)

National Library of Education (NLE)Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)

NOTICE

REPRODUCTION i3ASIS

ERIC

This document is covered by a signed "Reproduction Release(Blanket) form (on file within the ERIC system), encompassing allor classes of documents from its source organization and, therefore,does not require a "Specific Document" Release form.

This document is Federally-funded, or carries its own permission toreproduce, or is otherwise in the public domain and, therefore, maybe reproduced by ERIC without a signed Reproduction Release form(either "Specific Document" or "Blanket").

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