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Listen to this articleFor more than 25 years, we have been blessed with listening to local communities, residents, business owners, municipal leaders, organizations and institutions who provide services to them. Recently we have conducted over 600 interviews with these same people, hearing the experiences in their journey of work, volunteerism and life.
In our travels, middle class, working class or lower income folks stress their economic unease and pain as most are finding it nearly impossible to continually afford the basics—food, gas, rent/mortgage, childcare—largely due to inflation.
Many feel drained by the endless division and discord pushed at us from federal, state and regional politics, institutions and constant negativity throughout national and social media.
There is an opportunity to pivot from this division driven by algorithms, clicks, likes, power
and self-importance into a collaborative model of listening and working toward community-driven public service.
It’s a good time for a transition from just self-appointed leaders and spokespersons, public and private institutions and large corporations—many whom don’t live within Long Island communities—to hearing what the true “everyday” people are experiencing, feeling and saying before decisions are made.
Thankfully, on the local level, folks from all backgrounds can still influence and shape their communities. Despite recent threats, we must always reinforce community power.
With power comes responsibility. Some communities can be more open to embracing change regarding new housing options, commercial development and a diversifying population with many new local businesses. Your “grandfather’s Main Street” may not be replicated, but rather one that is built on character and new faces, as evolution is mandatory for survival. Folks can get involved in planning locally for the changes they want to see.
This week over 1,000 local leaders will gather for the Long Island Smart Growth Summit to hear and learn from each other about collaborative planning best practices with infrastructure, housing, Main Street revitalization, human services, commercial redevelopment, clean energy, addressing racial disparities, helping small businesses and other issues.
Other recent examples of community-driven collaboration include:
- The completion of over 20 walking audits of dangerous roadways with AARP and the LI Complete Streets Coalition to improve pedestrian safety.
- Community planning that supported 155 transit oriented, downtown and affordable housing developments approving over 17,000 units.
- Over 45 downtowns through the LI Main Street Alliance with regional and local chambers promoting local business districts and door-to-door outreach helping minority and local businesses in lower income neighborhoods receive grants and loans.
- The 90-group LI Lobby Coalition has helped secure billions of dollars in NYS and Federal assistance for wastewater infrastructure, transportation and other services to local communities.
There are scores of other examples where local leaders are proving a “listen first” model of decision- making not only works, but yields better results than a mandated one. We can stop underestimating the power of a community’s vision because it does not fit with bureaucratic restrictions, and instead modify planning to fit the future.
Eric Alexander and Tawaun Whitty are the director, and director of operations, respectively of Vision Long Island.
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