Making Decatur a more fair, welcoming, and inclusive city
Better Together was a citizen-led, government supported effort to build deeper connection, understanding, and mutual respect among the Decatur community.
Taking the form of multiple citizen-participation opportunities, the process facilitated a substantive community conversation around the myriad differences — in culture, race, age, abilities, politics, economic resources, and more — that make us who we are.
Support for and interest in the process was evident. Comparatively speaking, outside of the city’s extensive Strategic Planning initiative in 2010, Better Together was Decatur’s largest public participation exercise in 15 years. Hundreds of residents representing myriad facets of the community came to the table, completed community surveys, and engaged in face-to-face conversation to develop a list of steps — action items — that the city, nonprofit partners, and even individuals can take forward to help cultivate a more just, welcoming, inclusive, equitable and compassionate experience for all who visit, live or work in the City of Decatur.
That series of proposed actions formed the crux of the Community Action Plan which was accepted by the City Commission in December, 2015.
Review and Download
Better Together Community Action Plan (13.1mb .pdf)
Appendix A: Implementation Plan (1.4mb .pdf)
Appendices B-H (12.4mb .pdf)
Everything associated with the Better Together process can be explored here.
