Partners has always been a step ahead of the game. Whether you call it an early warning system or a canary in the mineshaft, Partners has been a leader in identifying cutting edge issues that affect a community’s quality of life.

The identification of these issues, however, is only the first step. In crafting national initiatives, Partners will spend significant time researching the issue(s); identifying best practices; reaching out to national funders and partner organizations; working with laboratory communities to develop tried-and-true processes for effective community change; holding local, regional, and national events; and publishing reports and workbooks for dissemination to change agents all over the world.

Examples of past and current national initiatives include:

Economics of Amenity: In the early 1980s, the Economics of Amenity program promoted the idea of amenities-based planning as a successful urban economic development strategy. Through national and international gatherings, laboratory communities, and eventually a groundbreaking publication, Partners explored how amenities and the quality of life in a community are linked to economic development and job creation. The result of this exploration changed the way businesses made location decisions, and gave a boost to communities to invest in an amenity infrastructure that included libraries, parks, streetscapes, museums and more.

Creative City: Between the late 1990s and early 2000s, Partners' Creative City program explored the role of livability in the New Economy through the creation of 16 separate action plans in laboratory communities nationwide. Each plan was designed to set the framework for how communities can become more globally competitive by providing comprehensive information on how to harness livability, how to pay for it, the role of the central city, how to create regional collaboration, ways to create and retain skilled workers, and how to develop a 24-hour downtown.

Aging in Place: Partners has run its Aging in Place initiative over the past decade with the goal of helping communities to retrofit services, infrastructure and attitudes to facilitate the ability of older adults to age in their homes and neighborhoods. Through demonstration programs, regional forums, national surveys and an array of publications, Partners is currently helping communities develop strategic plans to address specific issues affecting Aging in Place, such as housing, enrichment, funding, community redesign, health and social services and policymaking.