Stroud could speak frankly about issues and was able to engage people in literally sketching out alternatives. Outside experts were consultants were involved in every initiative that happened around Venture. For Downtown, Stroud had architectural firms compete for projects by pitching their plans. The key was that locals were always involved and learning from and with the experts, figuring out how to get it done. They learned about specific issues and general methods, such as design charrettes, reviewing and tweaking the designs along the way. "It's an iterative, continuing process,” as Karen pointed out.

Implementation has to be handled by a non-governmental entity that can bring in private investment better and move faster, anchored by community engagement. River City Company incorporated Stroud’s practices, coordinating collaboration and gathering input via charrettes, listening sessions, public workshops, and surveys. “The very first place we started was listening to the community and understanding what people like and what they don't like,” said Emily Mack, President & CEO of River City, "But also what are those aspirational desires?” They have technical teams for topics like ecology and the environment, play and recreation, events and programing, utilities, transportation that are at the table also throughout the design process.

The vision for Collegedale was simple, David Barto told us: to merge several good the ideas into one place. “Collegedale started out with no center because we were carved out of the county,” David recalled, “What we wanted was some sort of town center for folks to come together, and there were a lot of different ideas on what needed to be in that center.” Red Bank had a totally different situation with Dayton Boulevard as the town’s backbone and site of the former Red Bank Middle School at the heart of town. Michael Phram said people provided input on what they wanted where via in-person meetings. Very different approaches but in the end people actively shaped their central places.

The challenge and opportunity now is to effectively connect central places, including intermediate spaces for people to gather, as the area grows. The range of issues will need to be addressed for each of those. "It is important to understand the nature of those areas," Rob Taylor told us, "there's no universal all one size fits all.” Community engagement is the way to highlight places that need to be celebrated, as well as those that need to be developed, and spur leaders to create an engine to drive development.

Central places host activities that generate public revenue, supporting infrastructure improvements and programs in other parts of the community. The means and methods to better connect them and cultivate intermediate places closer to people’s homes are readily available. Who is going to put them to use? If we don’t use them, we will lose them, even as we miss needs and opportunities. Community engaged planning has to be exercised to make it stronger and more effective.

This is challenge for the Chattanooga Venturing Study Group to take on next! 

Thank you, Emily Mack and River City Company, for hosting the last dialogue. Would you be interested in hosting a dialogue or convening small, informal “community confabs”? Shoot me an email!