Government Entity
The City of Minneapolis has a unique way of promoting community engagement. Open Streets Minneapolis strives to support people’s initiatives within the city by providing safe and secure environments that encourage communication and healthy behaviors at the same time (“Goals and vision,” n.d.). These individuals promote freedom of expression among the general public, assisting citizens with their public events. As the city has a highly diverse population, Open Streets Minneapolis has the duty to promote positive, friendly behavior to ensure that every individual feels included in local gatherings.
Five Goals
Creating Connections
The organization strives to promote friendly attitudes toward each other by supporting events and initiatives from other entities and individuals. The goal of Open Streets allows for easier meet-ups for different groups of people without the need to consider issues with traffic or similar regulations (“Goals and vision,” n.d.). For public administrators, this goal is crucial, as it promotes open dialogue between city members.
Community Engagement
Through Open Streets initiatives, the people of Minneapolis can organize events with as few obstacles as possible. By creating such spaces on request, this entity ensures that rallies, concerts, and other gatherings see support from the government. For the city’s management, this mode of engagement with citizens gives a unique opportunity for authorities to show their appreciation for local communities.
Promotion of Healthy Behaviors
Walkable spaces encourage people to become physically active without the need to leave the city or purchase gym memberships. The entity provides access to open-air platforms across the city, which may be used for various exercises. This goal is beneficial for public administrators, as it gives them the chance to improve healthcare awareness.
Supporting Local Businesses
Local firms are also a target for this entity’s operations, as their locations near events covered by Open Streets give them a boost of walkable traffic. Small companies can enjoy periods of increased sales, while customers may find new products and experiences. Public administrators can cooperate with local stores and service providers within the area of an event to enhance it further with unique offers.
Encouraging Active Lifestyles
By blocking transport traffic for particular occasions, Open Streets gives space for physical activities to thrive. Cyclists and runners alike can enjoy freedom of movement without being subjected to the dangers of being near busy roads. City management can incorporate Open Streets initiatives into other projects that create walkable spaces for civilians.
Text Connection
Open Streets Minneapolis is a governmental entity with well-defined goals and a solid strategy. The strategic management of this entity is depicted through its outlined commitments to the betterment of local communities, which includes current activities and long-term plans (Poister et al., 2014). The focus of its organizational operations is apparent and achievable, making its performance observable and measurable.
Open Streets Minneapolis shares its vision of the future of Minneapolis through a clear statement on the city’s official website (“Goals and vision,” n.d.). Minneapolis can utilize this entity’s practices to implement systems for other parts of the government with the same efficiency and transparency. Poister et al. (2014) reveal that this approach to management focuses people’s “energy and efforts on desired results” (p. 88). Therefore, the identified goals correlate directly with the real-world functions of local administrators, as they provide realistic expectations for their activities and lead to positive outcomes.
My Thoughts
Minneapolis is a bustling city that needs events like the ones that Open Streets supports, as they generate positive community friction. From my perspective, these goals allow the city to grow naturally. I see how this cooperation between the local government and citizens of Minneapolis brings those two sides together under a shared objective. This project has numerous connotations that play a vital part in city management and planning, allowing future administrators to learn how to run a public organization properly. Furthermore, I now understand how the coursework prompts students to comprehend the importance of direct participation in city life.
References
Goals and vision. (n.d.). City of Minneapolis. Web.
Poister, T. H., Aristigueta, M. P., & Hall, J. L. (2014). Managing and measuring performance in public and nonprofit organizations: An integrated approach (2nded.). John Wiley & Sons.