Page 14 - February Newsletter

Cornelia and Jan Flora (2008) de-veloped the Community Capitals Framework as an approach to an-alyze how communities work.Based on their research to uncov-er characteristics of entrepre-neurial and sustainable communi-ties, they found that the commu-nities most successful in sup-porting healthy sustainable com-munity and economic develop-ment paid attention to all seventypes of capital: natural, cultural, human, so- cial, political, financial and built. In addition to identifying the capitals and the role each plays in community economic development, this approach also focuses on the interaction among these seven capitals as well as how investments in one capital can build assets in others.Natural CapitalThe environment, natural beauty, lakes, rivers and streams, forests, wildlife, soil, the local land- scape.Cultural CapitalEthnicity, generations, stories and traditions, spirituality, habits, and heritage.Human CapitalAll the skills and abilities of people, leadership, knowledge, and the ability to access resources.Social CapitalGroups, organizations, networks in the commu- nity, the sense of belonging, bonds between people.Political CapitalConnections to people in power, access to re- sources, leverage, and influence to achieve goals.Built CapitalBuildings and infrastructure— schools, roads, water and sewer systems, and main streets—in a community.