Pago Principles: Why communities should buy buildings before planning out every detail of redevelopment

Sometimes a community needs to act first and figure out the details later.

Let us explain. When Pago USA works with small communities to restore economic vibrancy to their downtowns, we rely on our principles of community development to guide the vision toward a brighter future.

A downtown trust (a community-built organization that spearheads development projects) buying dozens of buildings in rapid succession without detailed blueprints for each one can seem daunting, but we see it as part of a long-term strategy for success.

Pago Principle: Excessive planning prevents communities from taking action

How many towns and cities have big plans for their community’s future that never seem to materialize? How many well-intentioned proposals and plans are lying dormant on a shelf? Of course, there’s nothing wrong with plans. Thoughtful people wisely use them to counter uncertainty.

But life is full of turns we can’t even begin to expect. Who could have foreseen the massive population shifts brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic? Who could have guessed how it would shake up supply chains and create nationwide economic shifts?

That’s why we may caution against trying to plan for every contingency before acting: It leads to chronic inaction. In the worst cases, communities tending toward over-preparedness may get stuck in the limbo of endless indecision while the need to repair Main Street grows more dire.

Pago Principle: Solve problems as issues arise

Tech companies embody an approach we believe towns should emulate. Leaders in that industry know that rather than look for every possible bug or glitch, it’s better to get apps and programs on the market and let customers report issues as they see them.

Most of the potential problems may never come up. Or they might be an issue for one in 10,000 customers.

Obsessive testing could have made the program unprofitable or out-of-date when it was released. Instead, they know to act quickly, get the software out the door and then fix issues as users report them.

Similarly, communities who are investing in their economic future must buy the strategic properties that should be revitalized and then troubleshoot with their partners as they encounter obstacles.

Pago Principle: Movement first gives planning a purpose

If a community’s vision includes restoring 100 buildings of various sizes and states of repair, finding all of the potential problems that could arise in renovating and leasing those structures could take years — dooming the project before it even begins.

Creating such an intricate roadmap would also use up limited resources, and worse yet, be wrong. Because during years of planning, conditions are constantly changing and unforeseen problems will inevitably arise which haven’t been accounted for.

Quick action can actually accelerate planning: By buying dozens of buildings, the downtown trust and its partners can begin developing a tangible, executable plan that incorporates the specifics for how each building fits into the overall plan for the downtown.

The paradox revisited: Execution offers clarity

So to recap: While careful planning is warranted, it is impossible to plan for every contingency. Instead, it can bog down a process that requires prompt decisiveness.

Following the tech industry tactic of troubleshooting as issues arise puts the project in execution mode rather than a wait-and-see approach. And communities that initiate and execute first can find clarity because then it’s apparent what to prioritize according to the vision for the town’s renewal.

That’s why Pago USA recommends communities plan on taking action before sorting out every detail of a project.