The simplicity of growth

Best places to live. Fastest growing communities. Who doesn’t want to seek out these kinds of places?

The growth of the south and southwestern parts of the United States might seem like a phenomenon over the last 10-20 years. But, as Michael Storper shares in his research, the reality is that warmer climate states have been on a growth trajectory since the 1930s. It might be tempting to look back and see the causes of this growth, but as Aaron Renn points out, it’s far more out of our control than we like to admit.

From declining birth rates and shifting migration patterns to more frequent economic downtowns and recessions, there’s no magical off-the-shelf plan that changes the growth curve of a place. However, there is something universal to fast-growing communities and the best places to live: compounding commitment.  

Compounding commitment is not to be confused with doing the same thing over and over.  Rather, it’s modifying action over time toward a preferred future.  It flows from a value proposition of what your people, land, and marketplace offers and the gain a company or new resident will receive by staying or relocating.

I like what Peoria, Illinois is doing today.  A coalition of the willing is seeking to reposition Peoria as a magnetic destination.  Discover Peoria tells the story of compounding commitment regardless of past successes or causes of stagnation, decline, and distress.

Will Peoria become a fast growing place?  They’re trying.  And getting toward that preferred future will require continual modification of their actions over time.  It’s that simple.