REGION 2020: THE VISION BACKGROUND
Region 2020 is a citizen driven
process. Over 5,000 people participated
in the process by providing ideas and insights. Every idea, goal, and strategy
contained in this report came directly from the citizens of Region 2020.
The sheer number of participants, from
all parts of the Central Alabama' region, makes the resulting vision an accurate
and realistic reflection
of the wishes, dreams, and aspirations of the region's residents.
Region 2020 started in the fall of 1997 with 500 blank sheets of 24"x
30" white paper. Within weeks, those blank sheets of paper were filled
with 4,727 ideas. These ideas were the result of 17 public meetings, in
which over 1,800 people participated. A group of retired school teachers
and librarians
volunteered to sort the ideas into topic headings, e.g. education, transportation,
government, and environment.
34 topics resulted from the sorting process.
Following this, 800 citizens translated the ideas in each topic group
into 34 goals and 217 strategies aimed at accomplishing these goals. At the
vision
Fair, 1,300 citizens, including several groups of students, suggested
which of the 217 strategies should be implemented with the greatest urgency.
In
all, citizens participated in 24 public meetings.
In the fall of 1998, over 300 volunteers,
divided into seven working groups, sifted through all of the information
produced by citizens in the Region
2020 process and recommended the strategies and action steps included
in this report.
In the following pages you will find 30 Action Plans. These are
condensed versions of extensive reports developed by the work groups in
hundred
of volunteer hours.
"A region… that protects, preserves, enhances and
conserves its natural resources and its native biodiversity that actively supports
and promotes cultural diversity... that provides superior
educational opportunities for all citizens (regardless of age, race, ability
and gender).....that has
an affordable, accessible, safe and efficient public transportation
network....that is rich in strong, diverse, beautiful and safe neighborhoods,
towns and cities
in which to live and work....that provides enhanced employment opportunities
for residents of all ages that fosters cooperation; promotes efficiency,
shares resources and engages in regional issues while maintaining
local identity...
that is recognized for its loving, respectful, and responsible
citizens who work for racial harmony."
-From the goals of Region 2020
In addition to meeting and working group participants, over 1,000
volunteers from throughout the region have assisted Region 2020 with the program's
logistics as facilitators, as members of various action committees,
and as meeting volunteers.
