What does it mean to build a vibrant community?
“Our country was built on place, built on neighbors, built on people helping each other... I think people are yearning for that again and that’s what a downtown does.”
Quint Studer is the founder of the Studer Community Institute, a nonprofit organization in Pensacola, FL focused on improving the community's quality of life and moving Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties forward. He is a businessman, visionary, entrepreneur and Strong Towns member. His new book is Building A Vibrant Community: How Citizen-Powered Change Is Reshaping America.
In this engaging conversation, Chuck Marohn and Quint Studer discuss:
- What does it mean to be a vibrant community?
- How do leaders help communities get unstuck from a negative trajectory?
- Should we stop wasting time trying to appeal to and listen to the naysayers in our towns?
- How do you balance the need to take small, incremental steps with community desires to execute big visions and address big problems?
- How can we learn from other communities' successes without trying to copy exactly what they've done in our town?
- Why is downtown the best place to begin your community's revitalization efforts?
- What is the role of local government in guiding the future of a successful town?
- How important are wealthy community benefactors today?
- How can revitalization efforts benefit all residents, especially those in poorer neighborhoods?
(Top photo by La Citta Vita)
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