You don’t have to look very far to see evidence of our political divide. One commonly cited example – according to Pew Research Center, a month before the 2020 presidential election, roughly nine-in-ten of both Trump and Biden supporters worried that a victory for the other would lead to not just a less-preferred outcome, but “lasting harm” to the United States. Making matters worse – we seem to be truly fascinated by the political divide. With pundits and media constantly reminding us of our divisions and amplifying every aspect of them, the story of our division takes on a life of its own, reinforcing the cracks and crevices.
In contrast, in our work with communities of all kinds – large, small, urban, suburban, rural – what we see is that people crave connection to each other. When we talk to people about the future of their communities, connection is a common theme. It takes many forms. As an antidote to what divides us, I would like to share some ideas on becoming more connected from communities we have worked with over the past year.
Kirkwood, Missouri Strategic Plan: Connecting the community through safe walking and biking
Vision: Kirkwood will be a livable, connected community with heart.
To leaders in Kirkwood, being a livable and connected community means that people of all ages can walk and bike safely throughout the city. Kirkwood’s strategic plan includes adoption of a Vision Zero Action Plan to reduce conflicts between cars and pedestrians (completed this spring), a plan to establish a greenway connection between downtown Kirkwood and nearby Grant’s Trail/Gravois Greenway (completed this spring), and a design study for sidewalks on a critical east-west connection (currently underway). Future actions call for implementing the Vision Zero approach to the design of improvements to the transportation network and updating the City’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan.
O’Fallon, Illinois Master Plan: Using neighborhood nodes to create connected 15-minute cities
Vision: O’Fallon is a connected, caring community where residents’ needs are met with exceptional amenities that are both easily accessible and inclusive.
O’Fallon’s staff and elected officials based their recently adopted master plan on the “15-minute city” – a way for the city to grow from a typical suburban community with a dispersed development pattern to a community with everything residents need nearby. Future land use envisions the creation of neighborhood districts nodes where residents can live, work, and entertain within a quarter mile of their homes, a distance that it takes 15 minutes or so to walk or bike. Specific actions to realize this vision include adding a neighborhood commercial district to the city’s zoning code, continuing to plan for neighborhood commercial that appropriately transitions and connects to nearby neighborhoods, and updating the city’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.
Creve Coeur, Missouri Strategic Plan: Connecting more people to city government
Vision: The City of Creve Coeur is a place for every part of life – living, working, learning, and playing. Creve Coeur is a vibrant, inclusive, and resilient community.
Creve Coeur has a long history of active citizen engagement. City leaders want to make sure that the voices of Creve Coeur’s increasingly diverse residents are reflected in community conversations and in the membership of the city’s boards and commissions. Actions called for in their strategic plan include finding specific ways the city can encourage cultural events to showcase the many cultures present in Creve Coeur, providing more opportunities for residents to learn about local government and how they can get involved, and seeking diversity on City boards and commissions through intentional recruitment.
Final Thoughts
In these conversations about safer walking and biking, creating “15-minute cities”, and connecting people to city government, there was not heated debate by opposing sides. And there could have been – adding more biking and walking facilities means drivers may need to slow down, 15-minute cities mean residential and commercial development will co-exist, and so on. And maybe the devil will be in the details of implementation, but I don’t think that’s it. I believe we all want to live in cohesive and caring communities where everyone feels a sense of connection to both place and people, a place where they matter and are part of a community.
We’re inspired by what we see cities doing day in and day out, proving pundits wrong and working toward kinder and more connected communities for people of all political persuasions.