Citizens throughout the world face the challenges of the twenty-first century, the dawn of our civilization' s third millennium. Dynamic changes are taking place in society that will have a profound impact on our cities in the future. Evolving societal conditions and public perceptions have created trends that require communities to change in order to meet the public' s expectation of effective and equitable governance. The milestone changes examined in this article are based on established and predictable trends. They will have a measurable impact on municipalities across the nation during the coming years. Adapting to these changes will test the abilities of public officials as they strive to represent the citizens they serve.
Gone are the traditional and predictable days for local government. When revenues were plentiful, public officials could merely adjust tax rates to balance budgets. The outside environment was relatively tranquil, and it did not pose many significant challenges, impending threats, or even available opportunities. Public programs were merely increased in response to citizen demands for more services. In the future, both the scale and mix of public services, as well as how they are financed, will be critically examined in response to changes taking place in our society. Our traditional electoral practices have long formed the basis of local democracy. Minority and ethnic groups now demand greater representation in the governance processes of their community.
The traditional municipal planning practices of the past were designed during periods of steady growth and routine change. They are now being questioned and replaced by modern and more relevant planning practices. Practicing strategic planning, developing alternative scenarios, and using issues management techniques-long common in the private sector-have been at the forefront of this planning trend. The traditional planning practices of the past, characterized by merely projecting previous trends into the future, will increasingly be found to be lacking in reliability and credibility. In the future, more sophisticated, technically accurate, and politically acceptable planning practices will be developed to adapt a municipal organization to its changing environment.