We hear it mentioned a lot 鈥� this region is growing fast. That increasing population puts pressure on a lot of different facets of life 鈥� things like housing, healthcare, schools, and transportation. But love it or hate it, growth is inevitable 鈥� so how do we make sure it happens strategically and equitably?
One solution is to stop making so many distinctions between Weld and Larimer counties 鈥� and start bringing these communities together. That鈥檚 what from the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado suggests. It presents data from across the region to show how issues like housing and healthcare intersect across county lines 鈥� and how coming together might just be the smartest way to alleviate these problems.
"Nobody really had assembled the data in a way that allowed us to look at the health and well-being of the entire region," said Kristin Todd, NoCo Foundation president. "We want to promote solving really big, challenging issues as a region. We feel like we're better together; and so we're promoting regionalism as a way to solve some really challenging issues."
The report was more than a year in the making, and Todd believes it provides a new way of understanding Northern Colorado's interdependence.
"My hope is that this report can inform conversations. It can inform philanthropists, inform policymakers, and provide some common language and a launching pad so that we're all starting from the same place."
The NoCo Foundation is hosting a on February 6 in Loveland.
