Grow From Within

Around the country many communities are facing the same problem. In front of them is the abandoned mill, plant, or factory, formerly the lifeblood of their town, gone out of business or off to a more attractive location. Their city is faced with the difficult task of filling the void. Welcome to the exciting field of economic development.

Traditionally economic development has focused on attracting and retaining companies. Officials work on creating shopping malls, attracting new industries, or convincing a corporation to build their new office in your back yard.

In 1989, the town of Littleton, Colorado pioneered a new approach: economic gardening. The idea was simple: everything we need to build a vibrant community is already here. Instead of offering tax breaks and other incentives to attract businesses, they put their resources into the locals with big dreams of starting or expanding their business.  The result: 15,000 new jobs for their community.

Every community has places in need of revitalization and citizens with the innovation, creativity, and passion to make it happen. Economic development programs have the resources to start growing from within.

I was at a Ignite Staunton a year ago, an open mic night for creative ideas to revitalize a small town in Virginia. People shared ideas for a new farm to table business, a belly dancing program to build self esteem in teens, a concert venue, and a bike share program. The energy in the room was like nothing I had felt before. We were all feeding off each other’s creativity and beaming with the realization that our small town was a pretty awesome place to live.

Building a new Target will never create a moment like that.

More than creating jobs, this model restores the vitality of a community. Communities can become defined by those empty spaces, signs of a decaying hometown, and lose hope that there may ever be a better future. We can be stuck in “what was” and fail to see “what is.” Economic gardening creates jobs, but it also creates a sense of community and accomplishment. We become the masters of our own fate and it is our businesses and initiatives that fill those empty factories and storefronts to rebuild our towns.