Gannawarra 2025 - Gannawarra Shire Council

American academic Richard Florida is one of the most
well known international thinkers and researchers on
the issue of measuring ‘what makes a great
community?’. A number of key elements that he
believes must be present in a strong community are that
they must:
-­‐ Attract the ‘creative class’ (i.e. the ‘thinking
professions’ such as architects, engineers, artists,
scientists who create economic growth)
-­‐ Have cultural diversity - this increases
tolerance, which is important as it makes
communities open to new ideas, creative thinking
and learnings from migrants or outsiders.
-­‐ Keep young people in the community - because
they are the ‘work horses’, risk takers and future
entrepreneurs.
Creative classes want to live in communities that are
inspiring to them because they offer a unique attribute
or sense of identity. The essential aspects Richard
Florida sees for economic development in this era are
the three ‘T’s: talent, technology and tolerance.
The global not-for-profit organisation that is dedicated
to improving communities, ‘Partners for Livable Cities’
believe that ‘livability’ is what makes communities
great. They describe livability as: “the sum of the factors
that add up to a community’s quality of life —including the
built and natural environments, economic prosperity, social
stability and equity, educational opportunity, and cultural,
entertainment and recreation possibilities.”
Based on a project history of over 25 years of social research
in numerous communities, it is the view of McKINNA et al
that a further element to all those described above is
required to make a community great. It is our experience
that a strong community has a very clear belief in what it is
that they stand for. This includes:
-­‐ A sense of local identity
Gannawarra Shire Council 2010
Gannawarra 2025, Strategic Community Plan 7