Agenda - 08-19-2010 - 1 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Y V a` Next Steps Rural is still an evolving term in the United States. Rural communities and rural lifestyles today look very different in many places than they did even 30 years ago. As today's rural leaders struggle to deal with both internal and outside pressures, they should seek a balance that integrates old and new and links rural economic traditions with new innovations. Bal- anced approaches can help bridge the gaps between residents who prize natural resources and those who champion new growth as a measure of success. The smart growth approaches outlined in this document are intended to provide some useful ideas for specific strategies that can build on a community's assets and further enhance its sense of place. Before implementing the ideas in this report, each commu- nity must complete a process of self - evaluation and dialogue before the right combination of policies will become clear. Such a process may include the follow- ing steps: • Conduct an assessment of current conditions. A community assessment may ask: What are the cui rent environmental, economic, and social condi- tions of the community? How is the community connected to other communities in the region? What are the community's best assets? What are As they grow, change, and diversify, rural communities can take control of their futures by assessing current conditions, engaging the community in a visioning process, and Implementing smart growth policies to achieve this community vision. 118 Putting Smart Growth to Work in Rural Communities 29 • Engage in a collaborative visioning process to help the community determine what it wants to be like in the future. A collaborative visioning process would include all stakeholders in the community and help define the desired future for the com- munity. Visioning processes often result in visual representations of a community's desired future — for example, a map illustrating key conservation areas and development areas. • Develop and implement policies that will enable the community to achieve its vision. Once a com- munity has developed a vision for its future, it must identify and implement policies and tools that will help achieve that vision. Following a process like the one outlined above will help a community develop and achieve its vision for the future and accommodate and shape the type of growth that the community desires while preserving the community's best assets and enhancing the quality of life.