Building a network of partners is key. The Route 66 community isn’t really different from any small town or big city. It survives and thrives, or it withers and dies.

It is transformed into a destination and an economic powerhouse with leadership and with the building of cooperative partnerships. Or factions and self serving individuals profit at everyone else’s expense.

Building A Network of Partners

It begins when we look beyond what divides us, and instead look at what unites us. Focus on bringing a goal to fruition, and put aside the labels that foster divisions. That is the foundation for building a sense of community and community purpose.

HIstoric district revitalization. Using tourism as a catalyst for economic development. Transforming a community into a destination for visitors, and for people looking for a place to retire, to open a business, or to raise a family requires a network of cooperative partnerships.

An Eye on The future

Two points to ponder. The rear view mirror is not suitable for moving forward. And to be blunt, you can’t put crap back in the donkey.

From its inception Route 66 has been in a state of evolution. The Route 66 of 1930 was quite different from the Route 66 of 1960.

So, how do you preserve the history of Route 66 that underlies its popularity and yet ensure that it remains relevant to future generations? How can a community capitalize on Route 66 and not loose its unique identity? You build a network of partners. You blur the line between past, present and future.

The iconic U Drop Inn in Shamrock, Texas. Through renovation it becaomes a tangible to link to an earlier era. With the addition of EV charging facilities it becomes relevant for a new generation of traveler.

The Route 66 Centennial

The Route 66 centennial is an economic lifeline for communities, neighborhoods, and even cities. It is also an unprecedented opportunity to showcase a communities unique attributes. The projects and initiatives required to accomplish this are also ideally suited for fostering development of a sense of community.

Templates for how to accomplish this are found in counties and communities all along Route 66. You can see it in Tucumcari, New Mexico where Main Street with Connie Loveland at the helm is spearheading a transformation of the city.

Pontiac, Illinois is, perhaps, the best case study. Innovative initiatives, a strong sense of community, and leadership capable of building a network of partners has transformed the cityinto a destination.

Doing Our Part

At Jim Hinckley’s America we are doing our part. We want to see the Route 66 community survive and thrive into the centennial and beyond.

So, we are working to build a network of sponsoring partners. In turn that enables us to build venues where community organizers, event organizers, authors, artists, and tour companies are given a promotional boost.

One example is the Coffee With Jim podcast. The new In Search of Lost Highways on our YouTube channel is another.

So, do you have ideas about how to build a sense of community, a network of partnerships, and how to use the Route 66 centennial to bring these ideas to fruition? Please share them in the comment section.