EFFECTIVE COORDINATION and COLLABORATION
Making the most of Central Corridor opportunities requires collaboration and coordination over a sustained period among many different stakeholders across a large transit corridor. The inherent challenges of working together are made even more complex by differences in focus on specific issues, neighborhoods or jurisdictions, and even culture and language.
What's At Issue?
The Central Corridor encompasses parts of the metropolitan area that don’t necessarily see themselves a part of a regional whole. In some cases, neighborhoods and business districts may feel neglected or even exploited by past infrastructure development, and in the case of I-94’s impact on the historic Rondo neighborhood, the scars are still fresh a generation later. Many groups, advisory councils and coalitions are already working in particular geographies and on specific issues related to Central Corridor development. Having a narrow focus is a good way for small groups to make an impact, but even more power can come from connecting and building upon these individual efforts. However, collaboration takes more work, so groups with limited resources and perceived conflicts may not easily engage with each other. Providing encouragement and frameworks for corridor-wide collaboration can accomplish two positive outcomes: increasing the overall impact achieved by these groups and helping to resolve conflicts or tensions arising from different goals and priorities.
What We Want To Achieve
- Enhance recognition of shared goals and strategic opportunities
- Keep resident and stakeholder groups informed, engaged and working together
- Reduce potential conflicts
- Increase the impact of foundation and stakeholder resources
- Advance progress toward shared goals
WHO’S WORKING ON THIS ISSUE?
Groups we support:
The Funders Collaborative itself is dedicated to effective coordination and collaboration among our own foundation members, as well as among stakeholder organizations. We continually look for ways to maximize learning, information sharing and use of resources for the benefit of the Central Corridor, the region and other regions involved with transit-oriented development.
We helped convene three meetings with local community representatives and elected officials to explore how a Community Compact — a statement of commonly held goals — could be used to promote action toward those goals, and create accountability for achieving them.
WHAT WE’VE LEARNED SO FAR
There has been thoughtful, community-based planning all along the Central Corridor, and most of these plans outline similar visions and goals. To date, however, these plans have not been added up into a common vision for the entire Corridor.
Baltimore stakeholders have successfully used a Community Compact as a way to jointly agree and commit to Corridor-wide goals around their newest light rail transit line. There has been interest in a similar tool in the Central Corridor.
The number of stakeholders in the Central Corridor makes a coordination and collaboration role more difficult, but also more important. Despite the difficulties, many express great interest in seeking opportunities for coordination.