HEART OF TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS’ Post

The Spring edition of Social Enterprise News is out now! Lots of interesting information from the Department of Rural and Community Development. You can read it here: https://ow.ly/w8yK50Re5Qu

October is National Community Planning Month! This month, let's celebrate the dedication and expertise of community and regional planners and highlight the crucial role that planning plays in creating safer, more resilient, and prosperous communities. Let's also emphasize the significance of public involvement in making choices that determine the community's future and encourage joining the conversation with #planningmonth to highlight the essential nature of planning in every community. It's a time to recognize the positive impact of planning on our communities and the opportunities it creates for a brighter future! #CommunityPlanning #NationalCommunityPlanningMonth #UrbanPlanning #RuralPlanning #EquitableCommunities

In Issue #02 of The People’s Practice, we explored the financial history and misplacement behind community development and then talked to practitioners who are exemplifying a more equitable approach. Check out the Issue and then take a dive into the research that supports it. https://lnkd.in/e3ypHvit

I recently began reading 'A New City O/S: The Power of Open, Collaborative, and Distributed Governance' by Stephen Goldsmith and Neil Kleiman. It's encouraging to see the City of Great Falls Planning & Community Development Department and other City departments taking steps to implement the book's recommendations. While there is still progress to be made, I am optimistic about the future of public service! #localgovernment #innovation #publicservice #problemsolving

Released to public: Economic Development for the City of York, SC -- A few years back, I worked with Velma Love and the YEDC (in collaboration with the City of York) to do a strategic project to (1) garner community input on economic and community development, (2) write a summary and analysis of that input, (3) craft a Vision for the City of York (later adopted by council), and (4) create a “Playbook” of projects to be prioritized and further developed. Now you can see the analysis, the vision, and the playbook online here: https://lnkd.in/e-zRA3ft

Your input is needed! A Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is a guide for a community over the next 5 years to determine economic and community development needs. Please take a few minutes to take the CEDS Survey. https://ow.ly/qTha50TtHSE

Understanding Community Engagement: A Nine-Dimensional Framework Sara Hassan reflects with Lucy Natarajan on their recently published article in Town Planning Review which proposes a nine-dimensional framework that evaluates community engagement in planning practice. https://shorturl.at/OjE6f

Understanding Community Engagement: A Nine-Dimensional Framework Sara Hassan reflects with Lucy Natarajan on their recently published article in Town Planning Review which proposes a nine-dimensional framework that evaluates community engagement in planning practice. https://shorturl.at/OjE6f

Small businesses play a vital role in the U.S. economy, contributing significantly to job creation, economic activity, and community development. Successful small businesses reinvest in their local communities through paychecks and taxes. This financial support can lead to the creation of new small businesses and improvements in local public services #smallbusiness #localbusiness

In our latest Under the Lens piece exploring the housing-education connection, we examine schools' vital role as community anchors. New research reveals how school closures impact neighborhoods far beyond the classroom—from breaking multi-generational social networks to weakening local economies. Learn how the complex relationship between schools and community development shapes neighborhood stability and what it means for housing justice: https://lnkd.in/enZrvkBV #HousingEducationConnection #UndertheLens #AudioArticle