8 Guiding Principles
Core values are an essential part of any organization. They are what comprise an organization’s culture, identity and what guides decision-making. At Go Ottawa, we are founded on eight guiding principles provided to us from Heritage Ohio, Ohio’s Main Street America Coordinating Program. These principles have been proven time and again in downtown revitalization efforts, and we believe will lead us well here in Ottawa.
8 Guiding Principles
Comprehensive. Commercial district revitalization is a complex process and cannot be accomplished through a single project. For successful and lasting results, a comprehensive approach must be used. Simply stated, comprehensive means working on design, economic vitality, organizational partnerships and promoting our community simultaneously. (Fun fact: These are Go Ottawa’s 4 committees.)
What this means for Go Ottawa: We will always reference and make decisions related to the goals of our strategic plan. Our events, our projects, our partnerships – should always be building toward the goals laid out in that plan.
Incremental. Small projects and simple activities lead to a more sophisticated understanding of the revitalization process. They help to develop skills so that more complex problems can be addressed and more ambitious projects undertaken. Starting with small projects creates progress and momentum at the same time.
What this means for Go Ottawa: As a new organization, we are not trying to bite off more than we can chew to start. We are building our knowledge and experience before pursuing larger, more ambitious projects.
Self-help. Local leaders must have the desire and the will to make the project successful. Continued and long-term success depends upon the involvement and commitment of the community.
What this means for Go Ottawa: There is no silver bullet – we must help ourselves. If you want to improve your overall health, you cannot depend on someone else to do that for you. You need to change your own habits, what you eat, how you exercise, when you rest. The same can be said for a community’s health. We know our community best, so it is up to us to change any bad habits.
Public/Private Partnerships. Both the public and private sectors have a vital interest in the economic health and physical stability of the district. Each sector has a role to play, and each must understand the other’s strengths and limitations so that an effective partnership can be forged.
What this means for Go Ottawa: Go Ottawa’s strengths lie in the partnerships we are able to build in our community, in knowing our limits and in knowing who we are able to tap to create a stronger team. Change does not happen in a silo, but through dynamic partnerships that shift the baseline from ‘what is’ to ‘what could be.’
Identifying and Capitalizing on Existing Assets. Business districts must capitalize on the assets that make them unique. Every district has unique qualities – like distinctive buildings and human scale that give people a sense of belonging or businesses that have become local institutions. Main Street cannot create new landmarks or institutions; existing local assets must serve as the foundation for all aspects of the revitalization program.
What this means for Go Ottawa: We are not turning Ottawa into a city. We are not changing who Ottawa is. We are looking at the strongest assets we have, celebrating and emulating. Pride in our community is at the center of what we do. Pride is what makes a community stronger, what makes people move back, what makes people stay. Without pride, we fail.
Quality. Quality must be emphasized in every aspect of the revitalization program. This applies equally to each element of the program, from storefront design to promotional campaigns to educational programs.
What this means for Go Ottawa: Aesthetics are important. The way something looks and feels leaves an impression, whether we are conscious of that or not. What we design, whether that is a public space, part of a building, or even a poster shapes the way we view and feel about our community. As an organization, we cannot short-change quality design for cheaper or easier. High quality design needs to be threaded through all that we do.
Change. Changes in attitude and practice are necessary to improve current economic conditions. Public support for change will build as the program grows.
What this means for Go Ottawa: Change takes time and change takes trust, and building that trust in who we are as an organization will take time. So in short, this is not an overnight process – nor should it be. Change can be a scary thing, especially when it is sudden. With time, comes wisdom, new ideas, more energy, and hopefully trust. Trust that we are all in this together, with the same goal in mind.
Implementation-Oriented. Activity creates confidence in the program and greater levels of participation. Frequent, visible changes are a reminder that the revitalization process is under way. Small projects at the beginning of the program pave the way for larger activities as the revitalization effort matures.
What this means for Go Ottawa: For this, we will use the words of Jeff Siegler from Revitalize, or Die, “It’s about a thousand small projects. It’s about making one improvement today so that you create a little momentum, a little positivity, a little belief that tomorrow, it can be done again.” It’s about taking action, and sparking others to want to do the same. It’s Newton’s Law of Motion, an object at rest will stay at rest, but an object in motion will stay in motion.
While Go Ottawa is a new organization, we are grounded in a solid history and method of how to do this work. Our town is unique in its history, stories and assets – but the issues we face, and the goals we are undertaking are shared by so many like ourselves. We are not the first to do this, which allows us to learn from others and apply that knowledge to our setting. We are only at the beginning of this, but we are so excited to see what we can all do together.