The vision of the Small Town Regeneration Strategy speaks to the creation of “transformed, safe, socially and regionally integrated and economically viable and inclusive towns that allow people and place to realise their full potential through active citizenry for present and future generations”.
To achieve this vision small towns require town-level interventions. To get to town-level interventions a community needs to take the time to get to know itself and its town. This will assist to gain a sense of identity and purpose that informs decisions about the future.
The following are highlighted in the Small Town Regeneration Strategy in order for a community and town to get to know themselves:
EXPLORE THE COMMUNITY
Exploring the community has two purposes: first, to gain a better grasp of the town’s demographics, the networks, community connectors, and more, and second, to discover what matters most to the community.
Key questions to ask during the explore phase are:
- Where are we now?
- Where do we want to go?
- How can we get there?
- How do we know that we have arrived?
EXPLORE THE TOWN
Evidence-based data is required to make informed decisions and to assess the long-term impacts of those decisions to guide infrastructure (social and civil) planning, provision, and maintenance and to direct long-term spatial development growth proposals.
Small town municipalities are renowned for lacking current, well-documented policies, programs, spatial and land-use management data, and socioeconomic statistics. Undertaking, for example, a Socio-economic Baseline Study provides current (evidence-based) data that may be fed into GIS for accurate scenario planning and can serve as a baseline for the Municipal SDF and, in particular, a town-based Precinct Plan.
