For almost 3 years we have been working on development plans in Northeast Fort Collins. Montava is the culmination of countless hours planning, engaging the community, team building and problem solving. The essence of the Montava plan is building a complete community. This development pattern is balanced, equitable, environmentally responsible and healthy. It is dramatically different than the conventional community building "system" that is so prevalent. That system is not balanced, not equitable, not environmentally responsible, and not healthy.
Sometimes I find these concepts hard to explain because most of us have only lived in the American piecemeal development pattern. We only know what we know, until we are shown a different way. For 3 years we've been studying this different way, building partnerships, working to solve challenges and remove hurdles. It is Herculean work. Honestly I can appreciate why people just throw in the towel and let the conventional development system take over; letting the large production machine do its thing. But the end result of that is hurting us, and we believe change is possible here.
Today I came across a resource that I thought may be helpful for the large numbers of people from around the world who follow Montava's site. The guide linked below, and the graphic attached, are a wonderful example of what a complete healthy community looks like. It's written from a policy and planning standpoint, but it touches on all the components that happen to be pillars of our plan in Montava. Fort Collins is one of the most unique cities in America. We have a great opportunity to do something extraordinary here.
The neighborhoods where people live, work, learn, and play profoundly affect their health. A new guide, Long-Range Planning for Health, Equity & Prosperity: A Primer for Local Governments, poses a series of questions in order to provoke thoughts on how city and community planning can advance health and equity.
