Whether you want to create a small association or an entire urban district based on a community philosophy, there are three things you need to think about.
What do you and the initiator want to create?
You can never own a community, but you can still make demands on the kind of behaviour you want from the members. By being clear about what you want the community to stand for, you’ll attract like-minded people.
What do the people want to create?
It’s when you invite the people in the community and engage them in decisions that you involve them and fire their motivation. What are they envisioning? Why do they want to be involved? What conditions do they think should apply?
What is the spontaneous and organic emergent property?
One of the big differences between an association and a community is that the former are by nature more conservative, with charters virtually set in stone.
A community is a more fluid entity that follows the members and their current needs. The question is then how you can be sure that it’s structured enough for people to know its norms and values yet open enough to allow space for the emergent property to arise.
Anna Broeders
Community & Employer Branding Manager
anna.broeders@linkopingsciencepark.se
+46(0)725-74 37 00