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In 1996, The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham brought together civic and community leaders to explore the opportunities of developing a comprehensive plan for the greater Birmingham area. It was clear even then that the issues facing the region – many of which still challenge us today – transcended the ability of any one sector, organization or community to address effectively.
After that initial meeting, some 60 visionary volunteer leaders came together as an action group under the leadership of Dr. Neal Berte, then president of Birmingham-Southern College. They quickly realized the importance of listening and responding to the needs and aspirations of area citizens. They also believed that a regional plan could be the catalyst for positive social, economic, political and environmental change, as had happened in many other communities.
In bi-weekly meetings over nine months, professional facilitators and volunteers assisted the group in reaching a consensus regarding the planning process. They agreed on the following basic assumptions:
• The Birmingham region is an area that has been characterized by balkanization/fragmentation. There are approximately 140 governments in the 12 counties surrounding Birmingham; Jefferson County alone has some 37 governmental entities and 10 local school systems.
• It is a geographically and economically diverse region that encompasses urban, suburban, and rural landscapes.
• Only through a comprehensive plan with integrated approaches to issues will we be able to reach our full potential.
• The process should be regional, and include a strong citizen- participation component.
Still working without a formal structure but with support from The Community Foundation and others, these leaders studied the best practices developed by other regions, and met with leading consultants, including regionalism author and expert Bill Dodge. By studying the workforce and commuting patterns of areas surrounding the city of Birmingham and the projected growth of its surrounding counties, the group decided that the region should include Jefferson County and the 11 other counties whose borders fell within a one-hour drive of Birmingham.
Identifying and recruiting key leadership in these 12 counties began with personal visits to the towns and cities across Central Alabama. The steering committee hired Gianni Longo, of American Communities Partnership in New York, who had been a facilitator of similar visioning efforts in Chattanooga, Tenn., to work with the community to design the planning process.
In 1997, they also formed Region 2020, a non-profit organization charged with overseeing the planning process and, later, with keeping the goals and strategies on track. With The Community Foundation as lead funder, Region 2020 raised $300,000 from foundations, corporations and individuals. They also recruited a geographically and racially diverse board to lead the new organization.
Region 2020 formed eight working committees, involving 150 citizens, focused on: communications; intergovernmental relations; outreach; logistics; volunteer development; data; and fundraising. These leaders, and the new Region 2020 organization, took on the responsibility of developing and ultimately implementing the regional vision articulated by the citizens and became Central Alabama’s first regional stewards.
Mobilization
Starting a public dialogue in the 12-county area about what citizens wanted for the future of their region was not a simple task. It involved the coordination and dedication of hundreds of volunteers, who saw this as a unique opportunity to participate in open, frank discussion across racial and socioeconomic lines about community needs and priorities.
For many, the Visioning Process was their first opportunity to help shape the goals that would guide the region’s development.
The Region 2020 Visioning Process started in the fall of 1997 with 500 blank sheets of 24- by 30-inch white paper. Within weeks, those sheets of paper were filled with 4,727 ideas. These ideas were the result of 17 public idea-gathering meetings involving over 1,800 people, who were simply asked "What would make the Birmingham region a better place to live?"
Special meetings were held to target audiences that were traditionally overlooked (such as high school students and senior citizens). Volunteers sorted the ideas into 34 topic headings including education, transportation, government and environment. Following this, 800 citizens participated in goal setting meetings to translate the ideas in each topic group into 34 goals and 217 strategies aimed at accomplishing these goals.
The 34 goals resulting from Goal Setting are focused on the following areas of interest:
Clean Air and Water; Waste Management; Preservation of Natural Resources; Greenbelts, Parks, and Trails; Culture and the Arts; Recreation; Events and Programs; Professional Development in Education; Education Technology and Facilities; Education Curriculum; Transportation Systems; Transportation Infrastructure and Facilities; Mass Transit; Historic Preservation; Downtown; Beautification; Neighborhoods and Communities; Planning and Zoning; Economic Development; Jobs; Mentoring and Training; Social Services; Family and Parenting; Housing; Human and Race Relations; Youth; Seniors; Health and Wellness; Law Enforcement, Crime and Safety; Government Services; Drugs; Structure of Government; Leadership; and Citizen Involvement.
Region 2020 recruited and trained a racially and culturally diverse pool of 200 facilitators who worked in the small group sessions that were a part of every public meeting.
The final meeting on April 24,1998, was a Vision Fair, where 1,300 citizens helped prioritize the 217 strategies
The Fair took place at the Birmingham Museum of Art and was free and open to the public. Large boards displayed in the museum atrium outlined the 34 goals and listed the strategies under each goal. Each participant cast votes for their top three priorities by placing dots on the displayed boards. More than 1,300 people voted, and of these, 350 volunteered to participate in the next phase of the Region 2020 project.
The overall priorities that resulted from the Vision Fair votes were Education, Environment, Transportation, and Economic Development. In the summer of 1998, Region 2020 toured the region to share the ideas, goals, and strategies. The Executive Director and members of the Board spoke with civic groups and organizations across the 12-county region about the Region 2020 process.
Implementation
Region 2020 then began phase two – implementation -- in fall 1998. Seven workgroups of volunteers formed to distill the strategies -- Environment, Recreation & Culture, Education, Places, Economic Development, Community, and Government.
Made up of citizens who signed up at Vision Fair and experts from the region, workgroups interviewed organizations and institutions active in their respective topic areas to determine which of the Region 2020 strategies were in process, and which needed Region 2020’s attention.
Each workgroup recommended one strategy from the 34 goals to begin implementation. The workgroups then outlined an Action Plan for these strategies that includes specific action steps, expected outcomes, organizations that should participate and funding requirements. Region 2020 published the 30 Action Plans resulting from the workgroup process in book form. "The Book on Region 2020" was released on May 24, 1999.
In all, about 5,000 citizens from across the region participated in the process.
It was critical for Region 2020 to gain support for the Action Plans from the public and private sectors. It was decided that when an initiative was begun, an "Implementation Team" representing the applicable sectors was to be formed around the project, and the team then carries out the Action Plan. It was understood that some projects would be accomplished through advocacy, some through existing organizations, and some might require new organizations.
Region 2020 remains committed to Implementation, a long-term process with a 10-15 year projection.
The result of this effort was the creation of a comprehensive community agenda with regional goals and strategies illustrating the connections between economic, environmental and social concerns. Ultimately, the legitimacy and success of the vision was directly related to its development through a broad public-involvement process.
This level of public involvement would not have been possible without the significant contributions of the advertising and public relations community, and the work of an extensive volunteer outreach committee. Outreach volunteers were recruited in each community, and worked through churches, civic clubs, neighborhood associations and schools to invite participation.
The public participated in the process because they knew what, where, why, when and how they could be involved. Region 2020 created a public relations committee of professionals to develop and implement a marketing strategy. Design and production of all collateral materials were donated. Regional media outlets agreed to promote the meetings and report results as community service projects. Kickoff press conferences were simultaneously held in five regional locations. Local television stations covered each location and then – in an unprecedented move – took their individual tapes to Alabama Power Co., and combined their footage for collaborative use by all. Radio, television and newspaper ads ran throughout the process, at no charge. Op-ed pieces written and submitted by citizens and leaders were printed in papers across the region.
Region 2020 recruited and trained a speakers’ bureau to speak to groups throughout the 12-county area, with additional press conferences and public gathering being held at various locations throughout the process.
The Vision
Region 2020 is a bold and daring vision for the future of the Central Alabama region. The vision is a sweeping one of many parts.
There are 34 goals, which are broad statements of what the region has the potential to accomplish. There are 217 strategies, which indicate the programs and initiatives needed to accomplish these goals. And then there are action steps, which are the specific activities necessary for implementation.
These goals, strategies and action steps are interconnected. Taken together, they set a clear course – a road map for the Central Alabama region.
Beyond that mission, several themes capture distinct and essential elements of the vision. These major themes evoke a vision of a coherent, prosperous and livable region:
• Region 2020 calls for vigorous regional cooperation through structured and constructive dialogue and action among jurisdictions.
• Region 2020 reclaims a strong environmental identity as defined by the preserved appearance and character of its ridges, farms, cities, towns, and neighborhoods.
• Region 2020 establishes the notion that the region is a fundamental economic entity competitive in a global economy.
• Region 2020 demands the development of public transit and alternative modes of travel, as a way to connect the region and bring it together.
• Region 2020 champions social equity through high-quality lifelong education, a strong sense of racial and social harmony, and equitable distribution of housing.
• Region 2020 advocates the need for sustained citizen involvement
in planning and implementing the vision.
