The Next L.A. / Reinventing Our Future : THE ECONOMY : IDEA FILE: Business-Neighborhoods Partnerships.

How It Works

Businesses, large and small, should establish much stronger ties with neighborhoods in which they’re located. Grass-roots hands-on links would be stressed, not simple check-writing to schools or umbrella charitable organizations. Neighborhood groups, in turn, should pursue accommodative policies toward businesses rather than antagonistic, anti-growth policies.

Benefits

In many parts of Los Angeles, common complaints are the lack of community and perceived lack of involvement by residents and business, which lead to alienation or indifference on both sides. Reinvigorated business/neighborhood partnerships could halt the trend, improving the quality of life and ultimately protecting neighborhood jobs.

Short-Term or Long-Term Impact

Impact can be immediate and long-lasting.

Supporters

Many cities say they have come to realize that they are only as strong as their individual neighborhoods. Glendale’s neighborhood services department, for example, in December designated a full-time employee to work on building better ties between local businesses and residents. In particular, many community activists believe greater business participation in local public schools, modeled after Los Angeles’ Adopt-A-School Program, could stop the growing feeling of abandonment on the part of public school children and teachers. Likewise, business involvement or sponsorship in local health clinics, recreation centers, clean-up brigades, churches and other local groups can cement neighborhood ties--and bring the businesses new customers.

Opponents

Recession-stressed business owners may not see enough potential benefit in raising their community involvement, especially if relatively few other businesses join in. Also, some political leaders and community groups may see offers of help as veiled attempts to sell products. And some residents may fear that encouraging businesses growth will increase neighborhood traffic and pollution.

The Costs

Many experts encourage businesses to think in terms of low-cost neighborhood sponsorship ideas, which may be as simple as providing small grants to schools for needed supplies. Sponsoring graffiti-removal squads also can be low cost. For neighborhood groups, the cost of such alliances is usually volunteer time. For city government, the cost is in staff time devoted to linking business and neighborhood groups.

REALITY CHECK

50-50. Distrust between businesses and neighborhood groups could be tough to surmount in some areas, and the general stress of running a business in a weak economy may prohibit many well-meaning business owners from getting more heavily involved in their communities.