How Can Local Governments Foster Community Growth?
With a mass exodus from expensive coastal cities, how can local governments draw new residents and promote intentional community building?
As citizens scatter and move away from renting in high-expense coastal cities, many are heading to smaller hubs and suburbs. Local governments can keep a few trends in mind to foster intentional community building efforts.
Make Transport Easy
Downtown parking, paying for apartment garages, shoveling snow, and contributing to air pollution are worries many people would rather leave behind. Local governments can make their communities more attractive simply by making them easy to navigate and explore.
Commuting to work or even planning travel into a town center for social gatherings constitutes a large consideration for many people when deciding where to live. Free resources like light rails and city shuttles make a city more desirable simply by making short distance travel more accessible and convenient. A well-planned bus system or a cleverly-placed train station can go a very long way.
Help Shrink Carbon Footprints
Providing the infrastructure and resources for a successful public transportation system is a huge step in the right direction toward a smaller carbon footprint. Governments can also consider designated bike paths to make it even easier for locals to leave the car at home (or forgo purchasing one at all).
COVID’s demand for outdoor dining has brought on a popular trend among social cities of shutting down downtown roadways in favor of more outdoor dining, walking, and socializing space. The streets near parks and large restaurants have been closed down for months, and in many hubs, they won’t be reopening any time soon. Discouraging the endless search for parking and instead designating space for exercise and outdoor dining has brought both character and a sense of closeness to many downtown areas.
Provide Resources for Self-Sufficiency
A push for more sustainable living has resulted in higher demand for locally sourced organic goods, and has also inspired many people to become more self-sufficient. Gardens are replacing lawns at breakneck speeds and compost piles are an increasingly popular backyard staple. In general, people are seeking ways to live greener and cleaner.
Local governments can help make this shift easier and more accessible by offering composting services and food scrap collection on a city-wide basis. Community gardens and compost initiatives offer a leg-up for new homeowners, renters, anyone without much land, and those who are simply getting started in gardening or self-sufficiency. Offering education around gardening and composting for the local climate can also draw in newcomers and help residents make positive changes.
Keep it Green
With pet ownership on the rise and outdoor activities more popular than ever, living near open space is at the top of many movers’ priority lists. Living within walking distance of a park, trail, or green space means easy access to exercise, fresh air, and recreation.
Local governments can map out plenty of open space and green areas, as well as trail systems, to draw in anyone tired of feeling trapped in a “concrete jungle.”
At Atmos, we help you build the home of your dreams so you can be a part of your ideal community. Build intentionally, from design to construction, when you build with Atmos.
