Business as Usual or Willing to Change? – Emerging Trends – Where We Are Now
A Business as Usual or Plan A’s approach to community is to assume that it functions as well now as it did 60 years ago just after WWII and ‘that wartime pulling together’ will re-emerge when an urgent need arises. Currently people have very little time to spare outside of their working hours such that widespread community cohesion along with active citizenship has declined and become fragmented in recent years.
If we are willing to change or make a Plan B on the other hand, a resilient localised community would need to be based on the following principles:
- Closer working relationships and interdependency between family, neighbours, friends.
- People having more time outside of regular working and commuting.
- Better publicly funded facilities where people share transport, amenities, recreation.
- Support and investment in community led initiatives from policy makers and service providers.
- Inclusive educational facilities for all ages.
- A full flexible range of public health and social support services.
- Publicly funded support for diversity, fairness, equality and eradication of poverty.
- Supports for older people to remain active and contribute to society.
- A localised economy which meets people’s needs.
What follows is one version of how our community might become more localised and sustainable over the next 21 years.
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