In many communities, neighborhoods work closely with local government. One way to facilitate this is to create a neighborhood services department to integrate and coordinate what may now be fragmented services and funding, so that they are more responsive to neighborhood needs. This empowers residents and plays a significant role in a neighborhood's efforts to clearly articulate its needs. The neighborhood resource centers can respond to individual family needs, and also bring neighborhood residents together to envision what a quality neighborhood future would look like, and create a plan to make that image a reality. As partners, they make it easier for everyone to participate in regional planning and implementing those plans.
Communities often lack cohesive, regional planning policies.
Although communities may be integrated economically, culturally and ecologically, their planning and decision-making processes often are not. A regional planning and family services council can convene educational forums to discuss elements and infrastructure required for a healthy region. The forums would look at how each urban, suburban and rural neighborhood contributes to the overall economic vitality, environmental and social health of the region. Instead, residents are able to participate in planning their area's economic, environmental and social health, as well as seeing to it that all neighborhoods provide the infrastructure necessary to achieve the proper balance throughout the region. Nobody said turning Bananas into Lulus would be easy, but it's worth the effort if communities are serious about fulfilling regional needs while respecting local neighborhoods.