Policies

Many policies a government puts in place can enable or bring challenges to building a more interconnected community. Noise ordinances and event permits can create clear community expectations and help ensure safe events or provide excessive administration that reduces likely gatherings. Short-term rentals can create a transient environment that inhibits certain people connecting with a stable place if not regulated and managed well. Opportunities for community involvement, such as volunteer opportunities or serving on local boards, can be great ways for citizens to connect and establish a strong foundation in the community. Holiday celebrations, business expositions, and hosted large events can all bring businesses, customers, residents and the broader community together around a common activity. There are many other policies (documented and general approaches) to consider. This hopefully gets you thinking about how the governments policies and engagements with community members sets the foundation for engagement.

Schools

Often one of the central parts of a community, schools are a central point where families gather, children grow, and events happen. Families also volunteer in classrooms, at events, connect out of the classroom at parties, on schol teams, and doing school events. The board of education, community leaders, businesses, and government often all partner together to create an environment where collaborative opportunities exist for the benefit of all. Infrastructure, public safety, emergency services, health and wellness, and many other areas enabling a great school and educational environment are often services the government provides. Thoughtful and effective collaboration can create a fantastic cornerstone for the community. Let’s take a look at how a community’s events can create a great culture if done well.

Events

Mentioned above in passing a government’s use of events can significantly give a community its identify and bring people closer together. This digs into that a bit deeper. Planning, hosting, and cleaning up from an event create great opportunities for many community members to connect that might not otherwise do so. Parades, art fairs, concerts, drive-ins, historical reenactments, holiday celebrations, anniversary celebrations and resident achievement celebrations all remove barriers to getting together but usually require government support, funding and enablement to come to life. Events can often bring in extra-community entities, visitors and business to the benefit of many community members (e.g. conferences, theater, concerts, sporting events). One other major area of government-enabled areas to understand for community engagement are the available service opportunities it offers citizens.

Service Opportunities

Community involvement through service opportunities can take many forms and be incredible ways to impact the area we live. Serving community dinners with government employees, participating in appointed committees (e.g. zoning, economic development, board of trustees, green/trees, sustainability). Government often finds great value connecting with its citizens. It offers greater feedback, engagement and awareness for both parties.

A government focused on building a diverse and connected community can make that community a great place to live. Policies, schools, events and service opportunities are four ways the government enables or prohibits community-building effectiveness. As you take action to build a great community consider how partnering with the government locally might bring value to your place. Governments impact each community, and engaging with the government can be a great way to meet your neighbors and build the neighoborhood of your dreams.