Local Hero
Meet Jim Diers, one of Seattle's best.
Behind every great city there is a cluster of creative activists who devote themselves to improving their hometown. Frequently they find themselves fighting city hall--organizing against ill-conceived development projects and pushing for neighborhood empowerment. But Jim Diers, one of the community leaders who's made Seattle famous for enlightened policies, actually spent 14 years right inside city hall.
 Jim Diers, relishing his turn at the compost heap.Under three mayors, he guided Seattle's innovative Department of Neighborhoods, making it into a national model for other cities wanting to strengthen their core communities. Bringing a community organizer's savvy and vision to the work of municipal governance, he made a big difference in a city that many now look to as a beacon for urban revitalization.
"I am convinced that people still yearn for a sense of community and want to contribute to the greater good."
He details how things changed in Seattle with his new book, Neighbor Power: Building Community the Seattle Way (University of Washington Press). PPS has worked closely with Diers through the years and we are proud to excerpt his story about the origins of the Department of Neighborhoods below, and to offer his definitive book for our readers, which will be on sale soon through our online store.
Diers is now director of the South Downtown Association, and a liaison to Seattle communities for the University of Washington Office of Partnerships. He teaches in the University of Washington Department of Architecture and the Assets-Based Community Development Institute at Northwestern University. He is also active in his Columbia City neighborhood in Seattle.
Chapter 1: Valuing Community
The Department of Neighborhoods' Origins
Local governments throughout the United States are facing a
dual dilemma. Their resources are not keeping pace with
increasingly complex social issues, especially when the federal
and state governments are devolving more responsibilities
than money to them. Voters are reluctant to approve
additional resources because they feel a sense of alienation from their
government at all levels.
The common response has been to "reinvent government" to be more
like a business with a greater emphasis on efficiency and customer service.
Although it is true that government needs to improve its business
practices, there is a danger inherent in treating citizens as customers.
To the extent that government treats citizens only as customers, citizens
think of themselves only as taxpayers and feel that much more
alienated from their government.
"True democracy
requires deeper involvement than going to the voting booth once
a year."
This deep sense of alienation is often misdiagnosed as apathy. Statistics
showing that fewer and fewer people are voting and are joining
community organizations have led some to the conclusion that increasing
numbers of citizens no longer care about their community or their
government. This analysis, I believe, blames the victim. Citizens don't
vote because they have seen little evidence that their votes matter. The
2000 presidential election only confirmed what so many people already
suspected: their votes didn't count. Likewise, people hesitate to join community organizations because they are tired of attending meetings that
lead to nothing but more meetings. Whether they are participating in
a planning workshop or a discussion of bylaws, too many people have a hard time seeing a positive relationship between their civic involvement
and the quality of their lives.
I am convinced that people still yearn for a sense of community and
want to contribute to the greater good. They also want a voice in their
government. What they are looking for has less to do with reinventing
government than it does with rediscovering democracy. True democracy
requires deeper involvement than going to the voting booth once
a year; people need to be engaged in their communities and with their
government on an ongoing basis. People will commit to such involvement
to the extent that they see results.
Continue reading Chapter 1 of Jim Diers' Neighbor Power.
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