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April 24, 2003
Bill Hansell former Executive director of ICMA
Listening to Bill Hansell former Executive director of ICMA discuss the issue of The City Manager as a Community Builder he addressed several interesting ideas that are worth repeating. Talking almost exclusively about a book written long ago in a far away land the 1970’s called “WE the lonely people searching for community,” by Ralph Keyes who defines his book with this statement, "We, the Lonely People explores the loss of community in America. It considers the ways in which we are trying to rediscover a sense of community in rock concerts that become family for a few hours, shopping malls where we search for familiar faces, and talk shows with familiar voices. Instead of settling for "throwaway intimacy," Keyes encourages readers to become more direct about their need for one another and cultivate the communities that are already sprouting in laundromats, self-help groups and corner pubs." Bill Hansell brokedown the book in the following differnt lists and discussions.
The idea that we have lost the sense of what it means to value community through the expression of rhetoric of individual persons can make a difference. The sense of community was defined around the idea of being known to others and the ability to find intimacy in others around the individual. The benefits of valuing community were expressed as a community of place built around the notions of small communities where everybody knows everybody else, which results in rigidity and heightened social norms. A complete lack of privacy where gossip is the primary exchange of information. Hansell then talked about individuals no longer looking for community in places the idea that anonymity bring a great deal of freedom because you can for the most part do what you want to do.
1. Literacy causes a breakdown of intimacy
2. Professionalism has to be objective and fair
3. Modern mobility causes jobs not to be routed in community
4. An individual’s great desire for privacy
5. Connivance ended the corner grocery store
Communities of place have been replaced with virtual communities like 7-11, which is uniform in design and product placement feel like you are home at all, times, creating a feeling of comfort away from home. Interest groups are building around community this workshop over the few days we are here will become a community. Some definitions of community were then through out: where you share love and joy, live together and share, feel like you have good extended family, Robert Frost was quoted as, “Home is where they have to take you in,” place where you are stuck with someone, where the group is more important than individual relationships, in a single collective judgment everyone is welcome.
Hansell then listed the three types of community as, communities of place, interest, and situation. Specifically focusing on the idea of communities of place and taking care of physical place, today’s criteria for place are more complex than before, even our words are more complex, sprawl, access, resource efficiency, smart growth all part of a vocabulary of complexity. How do we then go about balancing all of this?
North Central Texas Council of Governments Criteria:
1. Development options; land use types
2. Efficient growth; refill with new investment
3. Design street spaces
4. Housing choice
5. Activity centers
6. Environmental stewardship
7. Quality places; design component
8. Transpiration efficiency; movement
9. Resource efficiency
10. Implantation of design
Talking about the other side of human community and the human potential movement the ideas of being known, having intimacy, enjoying groups, and feeling safe are important to understanding community.
Sense of Community Strategies listed by Bill Hansell:
1. Understand demographics of community interest, background, ability you need to know what we are all about within a community because demographics are the destiny of a community.
2. Value diversity, “Foster Dialogue, discussion and equality,” America is one of the most diverse societies in history we have to accept differences and value diversity.
3. Promote broad and include involvement tell us how we are doing research how the organization is impacting the community.
4. Understand, access, and guide culture of the community a quality arts program is essential to the community. Guide it in a direction to celebrate all groups and art within the community.
5. Celebrate, celebrate, celebrate, and find things to rejoice about…
719 words posted by nels lindahl at 07:09 PM
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