Regional problems require regional citizenship
JIM OLIVER
WAYNE GRETZKY, the great hockey player, once said his goal was not to skate after the puck but to the spot where he thought the puck was going to be. That’s good advice for thinking about the role of citizenship in Hampton Roads in 2009. So where do you think the puck is going?
In transportation, we have closed more bridges in the past several years than we have opened. For the first time, young adults are less educated than older ones. Severe budget crises in state and local governments are producing layoffs and service cutbacks. These outcomes are not good signs for a region where income already trails the national averages.
In addition, the Southeastern Public Service Authority faces an uncertain future and the region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization, which sets transportation priorities, is under federal mandate to reform.
Even our natural geography challenges us. Nearly 2 million people are united by the scenic waters that separate us. In short, today our region is a beautiful mess. Our issues appear to be beyond experts, elected officials and community leaders. We need uncommon help from residents. So, here is my question: what are you going to do this year to help your region?
This is not an idle question. It is a call to action. We need new and creative ways for you to become involved. This is new ground and a tough assignment. But given the nature of our problems in 2009 we must expand public space for citizens to participate in regional decision-making.
The challenge has several parts. It concerns both scale (lots of people and water) and mind-sets (connecting the heart and brain). Many of us talk and think about the region (brain) but few see ourselves as regional citizens at heart. Structural barriers and existing procedures favor jurisdictional dominance against region-based decision-making. Those procedures are simply insufficient to address problems that neither begin nor end at municipal boundaries.
To change, we need a new kind of citizenship. It is citizenship that goes beyond calls for “common sense” and is willing to engage the complexities of our region and its issues. It requires citizens searching for the right place at the right time when the puck comes their way.
Consider adding these to your New Year’s resolutions about citizenship:
Count how many people at work come from a different city, or ask people their favorite restaurant and see if they are close or far apart. Ask them what our biggest regional problem is.
Think of three items or issues that your municipality could pursue in a regional partnership and then do something about your conclusions. Tell or write somebody or show up when you think you see the puck is coming (e.g., light rail, joint services, or shared facilities).
Join one regional project intentionally as a specific way of learning by doing.
Lastly, be aware of a new group called the Hampton Roads Center for Civic Engagement (www.hrcce.org). Its mission is to connect public decision-making with civil dialogue and the informed judgment of the region’s citizens. It is designed as a safe place for citizens to learn and share regional information and ideas.
Our region, as well as our nation, is at a serious crossroads. The ability to imagine and generate new ideas with public support is essential if we are to succeed. Please challenge yourself to skate to where you think the puck will be for the region in 2009. Hopefully, we will arrive together.
(Jim Oliver is the chairman of the Hampton Roads Center for Civic Engagement, a new nonprofit. He was formerly the city manager of Norfolk and Portsmouth.)
This commentary originally ran in the Virginian Pilot on January 4, 2009
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