The Review Magazine May / June 2021

Tying it Together Without people, a place is just a physical object. Connecting people who support each other and themselves in a localized way brings a place to life and increases access to community resources and social networks. This part is firmly tied to our ongoing work in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion, inviting the engagement of all residents where they are. Trust in neighbors, local governments, and the partnerships that help communities thrive is essential to achieving community wealth. If we do not trust the information we have, or the decisions being made by our local leaders, our participation in public life is eroded and we do not feel that we have access. Sense of belonging to the community is what strengthens that tie between community members and the place. While government cannot, and should not, be charged with carrying the burden of all these components, we can lean into the areas which are in our influence and elevate the voices of others who are doing this work well. We can and must proactively use and build partnerships to carry out this important, multi-faceted approach. Understanding that each community has varying circumstances and assets, this model can be flexibly applied.

What’s Next We are working to reestablish our definition of community to include all its parts and the people who reside within them, connected with trust and belonging. This work is expanding beyond the municipal entity alone to include infrastructure, environment, health and safety, arts and culture, lifelong learning, and financial security. In every conversation with members, we are hearing what problems there are to solve, and how a human-centered approach might shift the work that our municipalities prioritize in the future. Instead of saying “someone should do something about that,” we’re having conversations that make solutions and learning of programs that embody Community Wealth Building principles. We will continue reaching out to our valued stakeholders as we identify, develop, and promote strategies that build community and individual assets. More info at www.mml.org. Melissa Milton-Pung is a policy research labs program manager for the League. You may contact her at 734.669.6328 or mmiltonpung@mml.org.

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MAY / JUNE 2021

THE REVIEW