Many time, communities only plan as a requirement for the latest grant, one person said. Most communities don't undertake planning for planning's sake. He speculated that it might be difficult for small towns to see the use of planning for nonphysical goals. Another common theme in the discussion was crisis as a motivator. One focus group participant said many rural communities underwent a period of disinvestment over the last 20 years, leading to a series of crises.
Crisis can create opportunity, although emotions can make that point difficult to see.
It can lead to your destruction, or it can lead to your empowerment. Several other participants agreed they had been in communities where crisis appeared to be the motivation for planning. Such planning is usually reactive instead of proactive. Public Participation One participant said he was concerned that many small town strategic planning styles were not as inclusive as they should be. Newcomers and minorities often are not engaged in the process.