I do not write about politics on this blog, despite the fact that I live in Washington DC.  I can't throw a rock up my street without hitting a political pundit here, so I try to stick with issues related to community economic revitalization.  However there was an interesting article in this morning's New York TIMES.................  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/05/us/politics/05clinton.html?ei=5065&en=cb59275b89a1bf6a&ex=1200114000&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print  about Hillary Clinton's recent loss in New Hampshire that does have some applicability to what I have been saying for years about communities.   As I write this we are in that lava-hot political period between the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire Primary, so there are countless stories about what the various campaigns on both sides of the aisle did " right or wrong" in the eyes of the political pundits---ah where is Hunter Thompson when we need him?

Anyway, according to the TIMES, Ms. Clinton's chief strategist, Mark Penn, Chairman of one of the biggest, if not the biggest, public relations firms in the country, apparently concentrated too much on polling data (the "numbers" or as we have to call them now, for some reason known only to corporate America: the metrics), and not enough on her personality.  The Clinton campaign according to this piece realized their error too late and the message of 'change" advanced by her opponent Barack Obama trumped the numbers gurus hired by Senator Clinton.   

This is very much what I have been saying about market analyses in downtowns, urban neighborhood commercial districts and communities for years now.  Every community is anxious to have the "numbers" that 
will tell them what type of business they need.   The sad fact is that the big market analysis firms come in, hand off a report with warmed over, updated, census data or  perhaps worse, a community uses one of the off-the-shelf products that gives them the numbers and then the economic development director, the commercial district manager, or the Main Street Manager runs off and tries to find those businesses that "match the numbers."  That does not work folks.  There are more lousy economic analysis studies out there than you can count.  Walk into any planning office and see the old reports lining the shelves--it would   actually be funny if those studies didn't represent a tremendous waste of money.   That is why I like charrettes(I am a certified charrette manager by that National Charrette Institute(http://www.charretteinstitute.org/)  they reveal personality over raw data.

There is an important element missing in too many studies--the PERSONALITY OF THE COMMUNITY--period.  The lesson of the Clinton campaign can be carried over to community revitalization---numbers versus personality.  Interestingly, communities could use some additional numbers in their quest to find their "personality." 

When I do a market analysis I go about doing some limited polling by telephone, I do intercept surveys, I do focus groups and one-on-one interviews with business owners--this gives me a feel for the community beyond just the raw economic data. So a little polling can help you find the personality of your community.  Sure you could argue I am just getting "more numbers"--but I would disagree and say I am going beyond what most firms do.   This information reveals the hot button issues in the community--and begins to tell me the "personality" of the community.    However, I never rely solely on raw market numbers or polling to tell me about a community.  Rather, I add to my knowledge of the community by learning its history, by listening to stories about the "good old days," by talking to people on the back streets--not just the Main Streets.  I listen at community get-togethers and watch public meetings on local cable, I chat with people of all political persuasions and I look at old studies and read local guides to tourism and attractions.   I want--I need--to know the "personality" of the community.  I find the informal channels of communication within a town, city or neighborhood this reveals a great deal to me about the "place" I am trying to define.

In many ways, Richard Florida's groundbreaking work on the creative class that he so eloquently writes about in his books and on his blog(http://www.creativeclass.com ),  is about the personality of community.  I read this week that he now looks at the local music scene as a factor in community analysis.

Sure I get the numbers, and  I get better numbers than anyone I know in the field--but you need much than metrics(ok I used the word) to find the "personality" of  a community.  The "community personality" will tell you just as much about what types of businesses will work as  a report overloaded with statistics, charts and graphs(all impressively laid out using the latest graphic  software).  If you are involved in the revitalization of a community, I implore you to think about the personality of your community, not just the raw numbers.  It is this personality that makes your community unique--savor it.  Best.........

Chuck D'Aprix
Principal
Economic Development Visions &
The Downtown Entrepreneurship Project
Washington, DC
202-248-9715
htttp://www.economicvisions.com
htttp://www.downtownproject.com
http://www.DAPRIXBLOG.com