A common question candidates for public office get is some variation of “Why are you running?” It’s a question that leads candidates to launch into their stump speech. One of the reasons I decided to run is because I wanted to serve my city in an even more impactful way than I could on the Planning Commission. Whenever I’ve moved to a new area, I’ve looked for opportunities to engage as a way to connect with the community.
Soon after I moved to Bellevue, I served on the Planning Commission where I had the opportunity to meet people in our community, work with fellow Commissioners who cared about our City, work with talented Staff, and get to know how the City works. Serving on a board or commission can be time consuming, but it’s only one of the many ways to contribute to our community.
I believe there are “types” of residents, similar to how there are “types” of tourists. There are tourists who stay at the resort, tourists who opt to mingle among the locals, and tourists who are more interested in adventure activities or sightseeing.
The following types of residents are based more on observation than on a mountain of evidence, and are meant to foster discussion about how we might want to personally show up as residents more than provide an exhaustive list that addresses every possible case or motivation.
The Consumer
The Consumer lives in the community primarily due to the benefits the area has to offer--the schools, proximity to amenities and work, safety, or the opportunity for increased property values. It’s a transactional relationship between the resident and the community. When they perceive they are no longer receiving the expected benefits, they may leave because the deeper relationship with the place does not exist. If you identify with The Consumer, I think actively engaging with others and volunteering as you navigate the community can help make those spaces more welcoming and contribute to a more meaningful experience and help deepen your connection.
The Neighborhood Advocate
The Neighborhood Advocate is concerned about the well-being of, and impacts to, their neighborhood--often as a way to protect or defend the status quo in some manner. The challenge, however, is that the status quo they are trying to protect is the result of change that likely made it possible for them to live in the neighborhood in the first place, such as the development of housing. When they perceive too much undesired change is happening to their neighborhood, they may leave because it’s not how it was when they moved there. As The Neighborhood Advocate, I think engaging with and seeking to address the needs and experiences of a diverse set of residents can help make the neighborhood more welcoming and contribute to more understanding about diverse experiences.
The Community Builder
The Community Builder seeks to build relationships between neighbors and residents in the community that can improve the quality of life for everyone. They are motivated, directly or indirectly, to give back to the place they live in some way. The Community Builder is likely to experience burnout and may leave if the community seems unwilling to evolve, or if they don’t feel broad enough support in the larger community. If you are The Community Builder, bringing people along in the work can help make our City more welcoming and inform strategies for building community.
Just as tourists can fall into multiple types (or move between types) depending on the trip, time of year, and other factors, residents can also fall into multiple types. For example, a resident may be more like The Consumer when they first move to a new place, and move towards becoming The Community Builder after realizing the benefits they’ve received from living in the City.
What type of resident are you? My hope is that each of us evolves into The Community Builder in some way. If each of us takes responsibility for welcoming neighbors, making connections for ourselves and helping other people make connections with the intention of improving the quality of life for everyone, we will enjoy an even stronger and more compassionate community as a result.
If each of us takes responsibility for welcoming neighbors, making connections for ourselves and helping other people make connections with the intention of improving the quality of life for everyone, we will enjoy an even stronger and more compassionate community as a result.