The heart of East Tennessee is at a crossroads. Regions are becoming the true cities of our times. This emerging reality demands a new degree of cooperation and coordination among all involved. It requires reaching consensus and a shared vision for the future so that all that live, shop, and work within the region can prosper. It requires balancing the needs of the region with the identity and character of individual communities. As the new millennium begins, the time is right to look back at the accomplishments of the past, and to face the future with clarity and vigor.
Developing a vision for the heart of East Tennessee requires a process designed to develop consensus. The process must be designed to ask questions such as: What do we need to do to make this region the best that it can be? How can this region fulfill its economic, social, and environmental potential? It must be designed to engage individuals, communities, businesses, government, and public institutions in answering those questions. It must be a process that is open and inclusive, and that takes full advantage of the millennium as a time to dream about our future.
Why a vision?
For the past 15 years, visioning (also known as consensus building or community based strategic planning) has emerged as a leading technique in setting a shared agenda and to foster agreed upon and desired changes in cities, counties, and regions. Chattanooga in Tennessee developed a vision process in 1984, called Vision 2000. The process is credited for the extraordinary turnaround of that community. Approximately $1 billion dollars have been invested in Chattanooga on programs related to Vision 2000, making it one of the most successful visions in the country. Kingsport and Nashville, both in Tennessee; Birmingham in Alabama; New Haven in Connecticut are a few among hundreds of the cities and regions that have successfully implemented visions that led to better planning and improved prosperity and quality of life for the residents. For example, Region 2020 in Birmingham has led to the creation of a roundtable of elected officials that meet regularly to talk about shared initiatives. In New Haven, the Festival of Arts and Ideas (now in its fifth year) has become the catalyst for bringing together a very fragmented community. In Chattanooga, the Tennessee Aquarium has become the focus of a $600 million development that includes museums, homes, restaurants, and a 20-mile riverwalk.
A Vision for the Heart of East Tennessee
The vision for the heart of East Tennessee has been a citizen driven strategic planning effort that set shared goals and will set implementation strategies for the area. The fact that it is citizen driven means that the vision started with a blank slate. It focuses only on those ideas and areas that residents suggested. It does not have any preconceived set of ideas or agendas.
The vision focuses on the new Vol (865) calling code area—Knoxville, Knox County, and the contiguous counties of Union, Grainger, Jefferson, Sevier, Blount, Loudon, Roane, and Anderson. The process began January 18, 2000. A steering committee and staff will be in place through December 31, 2004, to be a catalyst to make sure that implementation will occur, and to be a facilitator to make sure there is no duplication of effort.
The legitimacy of the vision for the heart of East Tennessee rests on strong public participation and on a strong foundation of ideas. To accomplish the gathering of as many ideas as possible, the vision engaged residents of the region in an unprecedented dialogue on issues and values. It strove for geographic diversity as well as race, gender, age, and social diversity.
Vision meetings were held in each area of the region and at times and locations carefully chosen to enhance participation. Special meetings were also held in high schools as well as senior centers. All vision meetings were open to the public and were facilitated by trained facilitators. They provided an atmosphere that was safe, conducive to dialogue and learning, and fun.
The vision consisted of three specific kinds of meetings: meetings to gather ideas; meetings to develop goals and strategies; and meetings to set priorities. These three sets of meetings represent the steps needed to develop a citizen driven strategic plan for the region.
Who leads this effort?
The organization for the vision is now the responsibility of a diverse group of over 80 regional residents functioning as a steering committee, and a 21 member Board of Directors. General Fred Forster and Edye Ellis have been chosen by the steering committee as co-chairs of the effort, and Lynne Fugate, formerly regional Vice President of First American National Bank, has been hired as Executive Director. The services of Gianni Longo, principal of American Communities Partnership, have been secured to facilitate the process. Mr. Longo designed the Vision 2000 process in Chattanooga, the Region 2020 process in Birmingham, and dozens of similar visions throughout the country.
In addition to the steering and coordinating committees, five action committees were formed to facilitate the implementation of the process. These included publicity, logistics, government relations, outreach, and volunteer recruiting. Thousands of volunteers are already involved in the process.
Outcome
The outcome of the vision is a roadmap for the future that embodies the ideas and aspirations of a broad range of citizens. It will describe in bold terms where the heart of East Tennessee can be in ten to fifteen years, and how to get there. It will build a critical mass of people that work together to accomplish agreed upon strategic priorities. It will get things done.