Community Building Strategies | Vibe Messengers

Community building strategies encompass a range of approaches aimed at improving the ability of communities and individuals to increase asset ownership, anchor jobs locally, and achieve key environmental goals. The Cleveland Model, developed in Cleveland, United States, is a pioneering example of community wealth building, which has been adapted and applied in other cities, such as Preston, Lancashire, through the Preston Model. These models utilize anchor institutions, living wage expansion, community banking, public pension investment, worker ownership, and municipal enterprise to promote local economic stability and community development. With a focus on people over profit and empathy over efficiency, community building strategies prioritize the needs of individuals and communities, fostering a more connected and empathetic world. As of 2022, over 50 cities worldwide have adopted community wealth building models, with a projected growth of 20% annually. According to a study by [[democracy-collaborative|Democracy Collaborative]], community wealth building initiatives have created over 10,000 jobs and generated over $1 billion in local economic activity.