What is the Newton Model?
We call their story, and the approach they developed organically, the Newton Model. The Newton Model has three parts.
A Place. A Process. A Plan.
The Center for Community Preservation and Planning is only one part of the Newton Model, but we strive to broadcast this story so that communities faced with similar circumstances can learn from our experience.
The Place. To get these important conversations started, we discovered the value of a neutral space. Today, The Center for Community Preservation and Planning is that space. Created in 2002, the Center hosts, facilitates, documents, and supports the collaborative planning process in Newton County. The theme “Think, Plan, Act” is central to the Center’s process as a facilitator, and is discussed throughout this site.
The Process. The actual work is accomplished by Newton County’s elected and appointed officials. Since 2006, these community leaders meet regularly in working groups to discuss issues of common concern. This group is collectively known as the Leadership Collaborative. Though 70 percent of the Collaborative’s members are newly elected since 2002, all of its members see the value of long-term, cooperative planning.
The Plan, developed and adopted by Newton County’s Leadership Collaborative in 2010, sets a course for Newton County beyond the next forty years. The 2050 Plan will use our inevitable growth to create quality compact communities with neighborhood schools, local jobs, and streets that are safe for biking and walking. The remainder of the country will be preserved as the rural and agricultural treasure it is today.
Explore our Process
See how Newton County’s leaders got started planning collaboratively.Discover what’s in the 2050 Plan, and what it means for this suburban/rural county.
Read the rest of our story, and see what’s next for the Newton Model.
Think
Plan
Act
