Neighborhoods. They’re the backbone of South Portland. They’re the bedrock of our city government. They’re also, in many cases, outpacing City Hall when it comes to city planning, and embracing South Portland’s future. Neighborhood associations are now engaged in some of the most exciting planning this city has seen in decades. Looking for folks involved in cutting-edge public policy? Try looking next door. Your neighbor is probably already engaged in one of several far-reaching comprehensive neighborhood plans, which are taking our city by storm. What exactly is a comprehensive neighborhood plan? It’s neighbors sitting down with neighbors to solve local problems, articulate the future they envision, and sketching out a plan to get there. The process takes vision, courage and commitment, and a whole lot of time meeting friends and neighbors to discuss common goals. So, why are some folks charting the future of their neighborhoods now? Don’t we have a city government that already does that? Well, yes and no. In the first place, our city government is currently not engaged in a long-term vision of our future. We have no comprehensive plan. Municipal government lives hand to mouth, year to year, taxing and spending with no goals — or end — in sight. Secondly, planning today shapes the decisions we make tomorrow, and that can be both empowering, as we determine the scope and nature of what our neighborhoods look like, and economical. City government without a game plan is like an automobile without a steering wheel. This year it’s heading North; next year it turns South. We need to decide where we want to be in the future, imagine our neighborhoods decades from now, and identify what types of businesses, for example, we want to attract as a city. Only then can we embrace our future in cost-effective stages, with less debate over distractions. That’s what comprehensive neighborhood plans provide: the chance to work toward the same goals with less friction and debate along the way.

I believe neighborhoods can teach city government a trick or two about bringing together ideas, innovation, and integrity to grow our city responsibly — and responsively. Our city should be seeking far-ranging solutions. City Council needs to plan for the promise of years to come. And more importantly, city councilors need to support the solutions we arrive at in our neighborhoods. Our strength, after all, is seated in strong neighborhoods — not City Hall.