1. Jane Ellery
Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology
Ball State University
Delaina Boyd
Building Better Communities
Ball State University
Krista Flynn
Building Better Communities
Ball State University
COMMUNITY WELLBEING
AND PRIMACY OF PLACE™
Building Better Communities

2. Concepts
Community
Economic Development
Primacy of Place
Introduce/Define

3. Community

Group of People defined within the context of a…
 Geography
 Neighborhood,
 Institution
Town, City, County, Region, State
or Setting
 Workplace,
Social Service Agency, School, Medical Practice,
Faith-based Group, Clubs, Web Portals
 Demographic
 Seniors,
or Characteristic
Families, Music Lovers, Outdoor Enthusiasts, Low
Wage Earners, Smartphone Users, Cyclists

4. Economic Development

Community Economic Prosperity
 Money
Economy – Jobs, goods, services, and financial
incentives
 Core Economy – Home, family, neighborhood and
community
Valuing BOTH… and
understanding how
they work together
http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_sandel_why_we_shouldn_t_trust_markets_with_our_civic_life.html

5. In Addition to a Medical Model
Beyond a Medical Model
Dunn’s view of the situation (1959) 1. It is a shrinking world.
Communication time has shrunk to

a vanishing point.
2. It is crowded in the
 Established a national vital statisticsasystem world. Population
growth brings with it new health
United States
problems arising from population
pressures and the scarcities of
 Recognized as starting the wellness movement
materials and living spaces.
 Book “High Level Wellness” published in 1961
3. It is an older world. People
living longer has created a
steadily advancing per capita
demand on productivity.
 Definition – an integrated method of functioning which
4. It is a world mounting
is oriented to maximizing the potential of ofmodern lifetensions.
which an and its
The tempo of
individual is capable, within the environmenthuman being
demands on the where he
and his society are steadily
is functioning
increasing.
Wellness – Halbert Dunn, MD, Ph.D

6. Blue Zones: Live Longer, Better
Power 9®:
Lifestyle Secrets
for Living Longer
Move Naturally
1. Just Move
Right Outlook
2. Purpose Now
3. Down Shift
Eat Wisely
4. 80% Rule
5. Plant Slant
6. Wine @ 5
Connect
7. Belong
8. Loved Ones First
9. Right Tribe
Dan Buettner –
National Geographic

7. Blue Zones: Live Longer, Better
Surprisingly, people in Blue
Zones areas don’t try to do
these things. They exhibit these
behaviors naturally because their
surroundings encourage them—
constantly nudging them
toward actions that improve
their well-being.

8. Primacy of Place™

Primacy of Place™ represents a community's
strategic choice to dedicate its resources toward
the improvement of life experiences for
residents, businesses, and visitors.
- Ball State, Building Better Communities

9. What does PLACE mean to you?

10. Physical Characteristics?

11. Things You Can Do?

12. The People?

13. The Food?

14. The Sights, Sounds and Smells?

15. Placemaking
Rethinking Change…it’s not what you do its how
you do it
Primacy of Place™ Resources
http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html

16. Placemaking
“[A] multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and
management of public spaces. Put simply, it involves
looking at, listening to, and asking questions of the
people who live, work and play in a particular space, to
discover their needs and aspirations. This information is
then used to create a common vision for that place.”
– Project for Public Spaces
http://www.placemakingchicago.com/

17. Project for Public Spaces
Goal of placemaking – to invite greater interaction
between people and to foster healthier, more social,
and economically viable communities.


SPACE - a physical description of a
location or environment
PLACE - an emotional tie to a location or
environment

18. 11 Principles of Placemaking
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
The community is the expert
You are creating a place, not a design
You can’t do it alone
They’ll always say, “It can’t be done”
You can see a lot just by observing
Develop a vision
Form supports function
Triangulate
Start with the petunias
Money is not the issue
You are never finished
– Project for Public Spaces

19. Providing Leadership



Social vs Financial Contract
Organizing People
Co-production - engaging
your community and
expanding your reach
http://www.ted.com/talks/clay_shirky_on_institutions_versus_collaboration.html

20. Financial vs. Social Contracts
Culture Change
Designing for Generosity
Minimizes Contractual Overhead

21. Organizing People
Planning vs. Coordination
Hire
Contribution
Contest
Financial vs. Social Contracts

22. Co-Production



Professor Elinor Ostrom, 2009 Nobel Prize in
Economics
The design and implementation of a program
through collaborative decisions between a client and
a service professional
For more information:
http://www.neweconomics.org - New Economics
Foundation
http://www.wix.com/fiwellness/coproduction - Fisher
Institute for Wellness and Gerontology

23. Maximize the Potential of
a Community
COMMUNITY WELLBEING
AND PRIMACY OF PLACE™
Building Better Communities

24. Ball State Primacy of Place™ Initiative
Community Awards Program
Conference
Extended Knowledge Groups
Best Practices Databases
http://cms.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/bbc/primacyofplace

25. Questions?
If you are hearing about this concept for the first
time, what is your initial reaction?
How many of you have placemaking initiatives
underway?
What are some of the successes you have faced?
What are some of the challenges?
What can we do to help you take these steps?