Why Some Communities Move Ahead While Others Fall Behind – A Discussion Primer

By Robert Pittman, Executive Director, The Janus Institute

Perhaps the most common yet puzzling theme underlying many of the discussions the past five years at the Janus Forum is why some communities work together and move forward while others do not – or to put it more bluntly – why some communities fuss, feud and flounder. Based on my work with communities and the shared experiences of Janus Forum attendees, I believe that the answer is both simple and very complex.

The simple answer in my opinion is that good community development forms a solid platform for good economic development. Community development is often a very misunderstood term. Some people define community development as helping improve lower income neighborhoods in urban areas. This was a common definition in the 1960s and 70s when suburban flight contributed to urban blight. This certainly qualifies as community development; however, it is only one small part of a growing field that encompasses so much more.

It is common (and helpful, I believe) to think of economic development as a product and a process. To be successful in recruiting new firms, retaining and expanding existing ones and growing start-ups, a community should have a good “product” – available sites and buildings, good labor force, good education, quality of life – the list goes on depending on types of companies and industries. But so many site selection factors are more community development than economic development. The latter certainly encompasses enough things to keep most people in the profession plenty busy, but think about the myriad of factors that go into any location decision and in most cases most of them involve the entire community. An economic developer is certainly not expected to provide good transportation, utilities and city government (I certainly hope so!). The developer can and should advocate for these things, but ultimately, to be successful in economic development, the community as a whole must work to make itself – and I hate to use this phrase because it has become so trite, but it is true — a good place to live, work and play.

Community development is so much broader than even providing a good physical presence and infrastructure – it also encompasses, like economic development, a process. Even if economic developers have a good product to sell, they must have a good process – a good strategic plan and marketing program, adequate staff and budget, good subject experts to work on a prospect team, etc. After that, it does take a village to close a deal. You could even argue that, on the recruiting side, economic developers should be judged more on how many bona fide prospects they get to look at the community, not how many jobs are created. The individual developer usually has a lot more control over the former.

This brings us to the process of community development. In order to provide a good physical place, a community has to work and plan together well. And, in most cases, to provide a good economic development process– adequate staff and budget, all jurisdictions and development organizations working together, etc. – community stakeholders from the public and private sectors also have to be able to work together well.

So, the short and simple answer to the question of why some communities are more apt to move forward is that they practice good community development alongside economic development. Of course, some communities have natural advantages such as location on an interstate highway, a port, a great climate, etc., but if these factors were of such overriding importance we wouldn’t see development in places that don’t have them, but that is not the case.

The complex part of our answer to why some communities are more likely to move forward involves how to foster and maintain good community and economic development processes – and that includes the overarching topic of good leadership which is a perennial topic of discussion at Janus Forums. So I’ll stop here and invite you to share with us what you think economic developers can do to help create good community development. Feel free to respond to this column and join the debate!