Executive Director of the Anaconda Local Development Corporation
The recent global financial crisis is the most serious challenge to the American economy since the 1930s, wreaking havoc on jobs, savings, small businesses and, naturally, communities. It’s reshaping our society, our prospects for the future, and our perception of who we are as a nation. Today, the idea of a “new normal” has taken on greater resonance than ever before. As communities seek to regroup and recover from the impacts of a dramatically different economic climate, we face some big questions: How can we move from a state of crisis—and the prospect of continued economic decline—to a state of opportunity, in which communities strive to be more healthy, prosperous and sustainable? While the old economic assumptions crumble around us, what are the new foundations for our communities made of, and how do we build on them with greater confidence? In this session, you’ll hear perspectives on shifting the paradigm from crisis to opportunity as communities shape their stories, experiences and visions for the future.
Steven Ames will moderate this session.
Interested in joining the conversation before the conference? Read Steven's blog post and jump right in!
Comments: 7
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Economist Robert Reich's Take on the New Normal
Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor and Professor at Harvard's Kennedy School, has a new book out this month entitled Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future. It provides an interesting backdrop for our upcoming panel discussion "From Crisis to Opportunity."
You can catch some of Reich's thinking in a short video that appears on Monday's Huffington Post: "We Must Put Ideology Aside to Fix the Economy" (sorry, unable to post the link here).
Reich maintains that in the aftermath of the Great Recession, we are going through a major structural shift in our economy -- not just another cycle.
Among the most vexing challenges he sees is growing income disparity between the truly wealthy and everyone else, and its impact on the purchasing power of average Americans. If the middle class can't buy things, he says, reviving the economy will be tough.
I haven't read the book yet, so I'm not sure if bringing back the consumer society is Reich's solution. But, this begs the question of whether such an economy is ultimately compatible with a more sustainable society. It's one that a lot of policy makers like to avoid.
The more interesting question to me is this: What does the new economy mean for local communities, and how can we make our cities and towns more sustainable -- economically, socially and environmentally?
I know our panelists will have a lot of ideas to share on that one! Come join us for some lively conversation.
5 Things America's Strongest Cities Have in Common
Folks interested in this panel might enjoy checking out an article from the Atlantic this week, which notes 5 things held in common among the cities that have best weathered the economic recession. I can't paste a link here, but visit atlantic.com and search for the article "5 Things America's Strongest Cities Have in Common" by Derek Thompson.
More on "5 Things"
Thanks, Rebecca. I found the article you mentioned at The Atlantic website and it's very interesting.
It lists the 20 "strongest" metropolitan areas in the U.S. based on a variety of factors, including economic activity, housing and employment. The list may surprise. There are very large urban areas such as D.C. and Dallas, but a handful of relatively smaller cities, such as Madison, Baton Rouge and Albany, NY. Of course, the list totally bypasses the small cities and towns of America.
The five things that make for a stronger city in the current economy are: (1) "Eds 'n' Meds" (presence of higher education and health care); (2) "Enlisteds" (cities that benefit from military spending); (3) "Capitals" (proximity to government spending); (4) "Texas - or at Least Its Time Zone" (which largely avoided the housing bubble and benefits from the energy industry); and (5) "Cheap Labor" (i.e., a below average cost of living).
If you've got all or most of these things, you're doing okay. However, in the Great Recession, I suspect more places than not are not doing nearly so well. And, indeed, if we are entering a "new normal" economy bigger questions loom.
There are a series of related articles on The Atlantic's "Next Economy" series, including "The Hollowing Out of America's Middle Class." Good reading in prep for the "From Crisis to Opportunity" breakout at Community Matters 2010.
See you there!
Anaconda
Having worked on the Silver Bow Greenway over ten years ago, I'm very familiar with the Anaconda Story. At that time the Golf Course was already constructed, and since then - the greenway (superfund site along the train route between Anaconda and Butte Mt) has begun to be realized.
This however was work done over the last 20 years - and not a product of this most recent economic crisis.
The folks in Anaconda have done some very good things, and it makes a great story to be told about turning mine spoils into useful public spaces. As long as you know this isn't an example of the 'new normal' - it was begun and nearly finished before this crisis occurred.
Anaconda's rise from the ashes
I'd encourage you to invite to this session one of the leaders of Anaconda MT's determined resurgence. As one of the worst of the nation's Superfund 'sacrifice zones,' still under the thumb of the company that caused the problem (a BP subsidiary, for what that's worth), the area was trapped into a downward spiral. By breaking through the regulatory and company constraints, however, this astonishing planned community is turning it around. Aggressive, focused planning and response to environmental challenges has been accompanied by progressive planning for future economic and social redevelopment on all fronts, simultaneously. Individuals like Carl Nyman and Mayor Becky Guay have begun a story we will study as a 'case' for decades --- concurrent with the unfolding of the story, itself.
From Crisis to Opportunity breakout
Ivan, Many thanks for bringing Anaconda, MT to our attention. It sounds like the kind of success-against-all-odds story that has lessons for all towns, and will inspire many.I'll be sure to pass your suggestion along to the team finalizing this session.
I hope you're considering joining us in Denver in October. You'll find many other inspiring stories and useful ideas and tools to bring home.
John
Anaconda
The Montana Community Foundation is inviting a few folks from Anaconda to join the conference. I'll know more next week.
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