CNR 2030: Growing a Carbon-Neutral Region is just one of the initiatives from the Creative Community Leadership Project (CCLP) which was held on March 30 and 31 in cooperation with the City of Roanoke and the Creative Class Group. Thirty Creative Connectors representing a variety of organizations and residents from Roanoke and the New River Valley met for an intensive two-day workshop facilitated by the Creative Class Group in an effort to spur greater economic prosperity in the region.

The CCLP’s methods and goals were developed around the creative class theory pioneered by Richard Florida, one of the world’s leading public intellectuals on economic competitiveness and author of the bestselling books The Rise of the Creative Class and Who’s Your City.

Through the CCG approach, the Creative Connector learned more about the 4 T’s of economic development (Talent, Technology, Tolerance and Territorial Assets) and how Roanoke compares to other benchmark communities on these dimensions. The 4 T’s approach represents a comprehensive strategy for communities who wish to compete and prosper in the creative age.

By the end of the first day, the Creative Connectors had a solid understanding of Roanoke’s standing and were then prepared to turn their attention to selecting initiatives to address some of the region’s challenges and to create a more vibrant and competitive community. Creative Connectors were equipped with the most current economic and demographic data, and cutting-edge community-building practices.

“It was an eye-opening experience, learning where our regional strengths and weaknesses lie,” says Nicole Hall, an architectural designer at Clark Nexsen who is one of the 30 Creative Connectors. “Being empowered with such research and tools gives us the power to make informed decisions on how to move our community forward.”

The Creative Connectors have broken into teams to tackle the following initiatives selected by the group during the two-day session:

CNR 2030: Growing a Carbon-Neutral Region – The plan is to partner with others in the region to educate and engage the community toward the achievement of sustainable living. The initiative will position the region as a proving ground for sustainable technologies. As progression toward the goal occurs, the region will attract new businesses, generate new jobs and become a model community for sustainable living. The ultimate goal is for the region to be carbon neutral by 2030.

81 Reasons to Connect – The purpose of this initiative is to connect the Roanoke and Blacksburg MSAs through three key areas – economic development, attraction and retention of creative professionals, and leveraging our natural resources. This effort will be seeking feedback from at least 40 already identified regional organizations and the general public. The group is also planning a regional economic summit in 2009.

The Spirit of Tolerance and Art in the Region – STAR is a movement toward inclusion. This is an umbrella initiative building upon existing events and organizations, as well as creating new initiatives such as BridgeWalk, the Open Doors Series, and the STAR event. The STAR movement will create a Web site and an online calendar. The aim is to have at least one new or existing event per month, beginning with Local Colors in May.

YEA! Youth Experiencing the Amenities – The mission of YEA! is to grow Roanoke’s Creative Class from within by encouraging youth to work, play, live, and stay in the region. Many of the region’s youth lack significant opportunity to experience the region’s amenities and economic opportunities. Plus, a new, expanding audience for cultural and recreational amenities is needed. To this end, volunteerism will be promoted by working with local arts and entertainment amenities to offer incentives by donating excess capacity at their events and venues.

“Cities are no longer competing with neighboring communities,” says City Manager Darlene Burcham. “Instead, mega regions are competing globally so we need a regional effort to be competitive. We are thrilled with the initiatives that came out of the Creative Communities Leadership Project and look forward to seeing their implementation throughout the year and beyond.”

The Creative Connectors will be meeting as a team during the year to put these initiatives into play. For more information or if you have questions, visit www.roanokeva.gov/creative.

Pictures of the event can be found here.

The Creative Class Group is teaming with the City of Roanoke for a Creative Community Leadership Project this spring.

“The City of Roanoke is issuing a call to the community to identify 30 local leaders who hold the key to turning Roanoke into one of the most desirable and sustainable communities in the country”

“The city is asking anyone who is willing to commit the time and skills to take on a leadership position, to put in a formal application,” says City Manager Darlene Burcham. “Even if people do not want to take on the leadership role, we would still encourage them to attend meetings and learn about the program.”

“CCG Director of Communities and Research Steven Pedigo says, “We have led community engagement projects around the world, and we are thrilled with the enthusiasm of Roanoke and look forward to our research and seminar.”

Check out Roanoke’s website and this great interview about the CCLP program with Roanoke Coordinator Stuart Mease.