local matters

If you asked a handful of Americans, or British, Spaniards and Brazilians, whether they think our global society is in a good state, most would answer no, even though many policymakers, citing advancements in global health care or development, would beg to differ.[1] But at least in the US, facts on the ground are quite interesting. While Americans are despairing, for good reason, about crucial issues such as racial tension, healthcare and employment, most are optimistic about the communities in which they live and work.[2] This optimism fits with Schumacher’s belief that it is our nature to seek a connection to our surroundings.

Attention given to local knowledge is increasing. Localism is often cited, in the spirit of Schumacher, as an antidote to global malaise. Originally used as a synonym for provincialism, it has evolved to mean putting local interests first or, more specifically, fostering the long-term economic and social well being of a community while maintaining and improving the local natural environment. This attention has spurred or revitalized a number of initiatives over the past two decades that draw from local knowledge to restore neglected communities and regions. We all belong to multiple civic and social circles and we understand what is local in different ways. But it is precisely this multiplicity of opinions, skills, voices and actions which, when brought together, make for a healthy community.[3]  After a long and frustrating experiment with the allure of big and efficient globalization, communities are coming home with new vigor for old and honorable practices, while at the same time not entirely shedding the wider connectedness that modern communication enables. These are good things.

Consider the role of locally owned businesses in providing goods and services to their communities. Money spent locally keeps wealth in the community, fosters local commerce, and increases local employment and demand for further services, production, and manufacturing. A thriving and resilient economy keeps skilled workers employable and employed.[4]  Michael Shuman, writing in The Localization Reader[5] notes that 99% of all businesses in the US are locally owned and provide over 50% of all jobs. He points out that in contrast to large corporations small businesses have higher labor standards and are less likely to let people go at short notice. Moreover, small businesses donate more to local charities and institutions.If you think about it, local businesses are in fact the community, fulfilling local needs for production, consumption and services, and they are ideally situated to recognize unique advantages and specific social needs.

I have come across numerous projects that tackle local problems with local solutions. Some foster local business and production, or focus on urban renewal, while others fill specific needs or strengthen local identity. All of these projects transcend their original goals to become part of how the community thinks about itself. Some go further to spread their success globally through a sort of social franchise network to encourage other communities to create their own tailor-made projects. Here are a few of my favorites.

In 2007, the Australian artist Marcus Westbury returned to his native Newcastle and tried to open a bar in an abandoned factory building in this once thriving industrial town. Despite blocks and blocks of unused space, no one was willing to rent to him; many buildings belonged to absentee speculators waiting for government redevelopment loans. Frustrated at watching his hometown deteriorate, he formed Renew,[6] a collaborative of artists and artisans looking for studio space. He convinced a single landlord to let them use an empty building for free; Renew would pay utilities and maintain the space, and they agreed to move out if asked. The results surprised everyone. As more artists and businesses sought space, landlords who had previously turned Westbury away now asked him to find tenants. Renew sparked a neighborhood renewal project that has had repercussions in neighborhoods not just across Australia, but also the world. Westbury has since advised similar projects in England and in the US, including the Oak Hill Collaborative in Youngstown, Ohio.

Youngstown is a former steel-producing center that fell into decline in the 70s. Despite ambitious renewal projects, the town has continued to suffer from unemployment, high crime rates and rising social welfare needs. Into this bleak picture came the non-profit Oak Hill Collaborative [7] in 2014, with the immodest goal of revitalizing neighborhood small businesses and improving the built environment. At its core is a makerspace, a “community center with tools”, supported by small business advisors who help young entrepreneurs with business plans, grant writing and network-building. The privately funded project also provides low-cost office and workshop space. Over 20 new businesses, including clothing designers, a software design company, a carpentry shop and an urban-gardening cooperative, have been launched. An innovative IT program for teenagers is in the process of spawning more. The OHC has been lauded by Westbury as a stellar example of a community makerspace acting as a generator in a neighborhood abandoned by traditional development. One of the project’s unique aspects is a post-prison reintegration program, filling a need that had until recently not been met.

In 2002 eleven aging residents in the Beacon Hill neighborhood in Boston were determined to remain in the community they loved dearly, but were reluctant to burden family members with the growing care they knew they would need. They pooled their resources to form the Beacon Hill Village, a cooperative that enabled them to more easily procure services they needed - drivers, cleaners, repair people. Today Beacon Hill Village has 350 members and is the founding member of a network of over 200 similar projects across the US.[8]  My mother’s cousin lives in one such thriving Village north of Philadelphia, the East Falls Village, which she credits with enabling her to maintain an active lifestyle despite being no longer able to drive. Most Villages have evolved far past the initial goal of procuring services to offer courses, skills-exchange platforms and multi-generational programs.
According to my cousin, her life is richer and more secure than it would be if she left and moved to a distant senior residence. A quick look at the websites of any of these Villages shows why.

Once seen as the pride of ubiquitous American suburbs, many malls have become abandoned victims of our relentless drive towards the digital. But one such mall has managed to transform itself from suburban blight into an urban success story. Lakewood, Colorado was a sprawling municipality without a town center for most of its existence. The large Villa Italia Mall, built in the 1960s, acted as a de facto center for a time, but by 2000 it was largely vacant and the community was desperate for a solution for the 100-acre site. A citizens’ committee worked closely with local authorities, a developer and design firms specializing in community revitalization to create the exact opposite of a mall: a thriving mixed-use commercial and residential urban center. With walkability and identity as key design elements, parks, plazas and streets with diverse scales have been incorporated into the design. A second phase was completed in 2004.[9]  The project received the EPA Award for Smart Growth in 2005.

One of my favorite initiatives to keep money local is the Totnes pound. In 2007, as part of their Transition Town program, this British community started printing its own currency, which could be used in participating local businesses. It continues to be a successful initiative comprising over 120 businesses and a circulation of over £12,000. A number of other British towns have initiated their own currency for similar projects.

The wealth of local initiatives that are successfully changing our neighborhoods is, quite frankly, staggering. I could go on for days. But instead I will direct you to Balle (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies), a digital platform started in the year 2000 to “shift me to we” and align community capital with local policy. The website currently lists over 800 community projects across the US - a virtual diamond mine of local success stories. Their Local Economy Framework summarizes eight strategies that towns and local businesses can use to create healthy and more equitable communities. Go check out the website, you might be surprised to find one of your favorite businesses already listed.