Ed Morrison · The Next NEO: Schools as community centers

June 21st, 2008

Akron, Ohio is the only place in the United States where every public school building is being constructed as a “Community Learning Center.”

That strategy led to the National Civic League’s recognition of Akron. Read more.

Akron is experimenting with other programs, like recruiting civic-minded teens to understand how the city government works. Read more.

As we move more toward networks as generators of wealth and prosperity, transparency and civility become strategic assets. Cities and regions with trusted networks will learn faster, operate more effectively, and respond more flexibly to the opportunities and crises ahead.

Part of the challenge will be engaging citizens in new ways. As this articlepoints out, citizens are expecting more engagement in their public services.

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Category: Economic Development
8 Comments »

8 Responses to “The Next NEO: Schools as community centers”

  1. lmcshane Says:
    June 21st, 2008 at 2:57 pm

    This is a step forward for Akron. Meanwhile, CMSD’s facilities commission continues to blunder along and only recently adopted LEED standards for the next phase of construction. The west side relief school is proposed for a parcel of land just a stone’s throw away from Zone Recreation Center. The colossal waste and stupidity of the process is mind-boggling.

  2. Ed Morrison Says:
    June 21st, 2008 at 6:20 pm

    lmcshane:

    Who follows what’s happening on CMSD’s building program? How can we regularly learn what’s going on? Is there a blog or web site?

  3. lmcshane Says:
    June 21st, 2008 at 7:42 pm

    Here is the Bond Accountability site.
    The last public meeting I attended at Riverside School was frustrating to say the least. West side schools are busting at the seams. How are contracts awarded? Lincoln West is a good school with a strong chemistry department, but the campus looks like hell. There has been no investment in this building or site, when it would be logical to form a co-op training program with Metrohealth, just two blocks away. The vicinity has two pools–one indoor and, if you redesigned the campus to include City of Cleveland Meyer pool, Lincoln HS could have a Lincoln Park-like campus, befitting the smart student body.

  4. Ed Morrison Says:
    June 22nd, 2008 at 7:39 am

    Thanks for the link. Why was the meeting so frustrating? And why are these larger linkages not being addressed? Are officials only seeing this as bricks and mortar?

  5. lmcshane Says:
    June 22nd, 2008 at 7:16 pm

    Ed–who are we kidding? Construction contracts. This is about putting money in certain pockets. The kids are not part of the equation. Period.

  6. Ed Morrison Says:
    June 23rd, 2008 at 12:01 am

    The breakdown of civic process in Cleveland has consequences. Here’s an interesting story of a city, Philadelphia, moving in the opposite direction.

    The mayor is moving the city away from a “planning by project” process (which is open to corruption) to a more transparent process consistent with our deeper democratic values.

    Compare this web site with what we have in Cleveland…a planning commission that has been marginalized, made irrelevant by a “Fred the Fixer” mentality.

  7. lmcshane Says:
    June 23rd, 2008 at 1:58 pm

    Links to Page not found. Not your fault Ed. Maybe, part of the plan :)

  8. Ed Morrison Says:
    June 24th, 2008 at 8:01 am

    Sorry: I was a little sloppy with the link:
    http://www.planphilly.com