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Where Are We Going?
Where Are We Now? | | Where Do We Want to Be? | How Do We Get There? | Let's Go!Step Two
Trends Analysis
- Introduction
- How To Get Started
- Tools
- Case Studies
- Publications
- Frequent Questions
"If you don't know where you're going, you might end up
someplace else"
Casey Stengel
And that "someplace else" may not be where you want to be. If you have answered the question, "Where Are We Now?" you have prepared a community assessment and have a good understanding of your community's current conditions. You also have identified problem areas and possibly ranked those areas according to risk to the environment, quality of life, and economic vitality.
Answering "Where Are We Going ?" will help your community predict, based on current trends and activities, the direction you are headed. It allows community members to visualize their future if nothing is done to intervene. What can you expect if current patterns of land development, population change, natural resource consumption, and commercial and industrial activities continue? Are these trends sustainable?
And, your community will almost certainly be affected by regional or even global forces. Only by wise planning can you respond to these forces in a positive way.
The trends statement can be depicted in many ways. You may wish to illustrate several possible scenarios. Tools may include graphs, tables, text, maps, and computer or hand-drawn illustrations.
Once you have illustrated your community's probable future scenarios, it is time to ask "Where Do We Want to Be?" This will lead to creating a "Vision Statement," the next step in transforming your community into a Green Community.