Communities and Neighborhoods
Soccer game at LaSalle Park, South Bend , IN, © Kay Westhues
New approaches to economic development could focus on the generation and building of wealth throughout the entire community, at all levels. Community wealth building focuses on broad local ownership, active and democratic participation within the community, collaboration, and building lasting relationships of mutual support. It focuses on broadening prosperity in a sustainable fashion, taking care of our diminishing natural resources, and growing our local, existing businesses. Community wealth-building emphasizes, especially for communities of color, rebalancing our economy in order to lessen inequality and spread ownership.
OSAA offers a new vision for economic development for the county. That new vision recognizes that development must provide benefits to area residents and improve their quality of life; that farmland is not vacant space, but rather the location of legitimate economic activity; and that development must be shaped by the needs and concerns of the people, current and future, who will be impacted. This alternate view of economic development values community wealth-building and focuses on broadening prosperity in a sustainable fashion; takes care of our diminishing natural resources, grows our local, existing businesses; and emphasizes, especially for communities of color, rebalancing our economy in order to lessen inequality and to spread ownership.