Helping Communities Rewrite Their Future
A new American experiment is happening in local towns across the country.
Rooted in an appreciation of history, American optimism, and pragmatic planning, we’re helping create communities where the values that shape the built environment are aligned with economic and social outcomes.
Backed by data (and conviction) we’re setting out to make neighborhoods that retain talent, improve health outcomes, combat loneliness, preserve the natural spaces, and generate economic opportunity.
In the age of remote work, places that hold this type of life are a competitive advantage.
The Flywheel Philosophy
People First
Working together, we thoughtfully consider who needs to be at the table. By investing time in identifying the right participants from the beginning, we lay the foundation for smoother and more effective collaboration.
Data Driven
We build a shared understanding of the current state using local market data, GIS analysis, and an evaluation of local and state policy. This helps assess need and identify opportunities to meet long term communal goals.
Involved Community
We cannot move to long-term solutions until people's perspectives are validated. Our human-centered approach enables us to effectively surface concerns, gather opinions, and wrestle with trade-offs in an emotionally intelligent and pragmatic way.
Collaborative Placemaking
It takes a village to make a village. Making a collective plan is an art that blends economic development, aligned multi-sector partnerships, and a balance of supply-and-demand side incentives.
Strategic Adjacencies
Get the flywheel going. This is the key - aligned early movers with patient capital. Building momentum around common interests.
Sustain(abilities)
Hallmarks of a sustainable community are multi-faceted. We work with partners to ensure the places we develop generate positive economic, social, and environmental outcomes and increase local quality of life.
Services
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Sometimes you just need to talk it through. Flywheel can help you navigate a specific situation, give advice, and answer a few questions.
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You have an idea; we have the strategy to make it happen.
Strategy and planning are crucial elements that go hand in hand and getting them right is essential for success.
By viewing the big picture and paying attention to the details we can ensure a comprehensive approach that addresses both the overarching goals and the finer points, leading to effective and sustainable outcomes.
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Housing involves an intricate interplay of building codes, zoning regulations, economic development tools, bank financing, and private capital.
Flywheel understands how these systems work together and knows which dials to adjust to create a harmonious outcome for your community.
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It’s easy to get lost in the weeds when talking about housing—we know that communications can make or break an idea. From presentations to print collateral to social media, communications is our jam.
The Flywheel team has a design and communications background to help translate the big ideas and explain why it matters.
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Flywheel provides training workshops and curriculum for municipal staff, community leadership, planning commissions, and elected officials, empowering them to become experts in building economically vibrant communities.
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At Flywheel, we embrace community engagement as a vital aspect of our work. We understand that housing can evoke strong emotions, and we are here to support and navigate these feelings.
Our human-centered approach emphasizes the power of listening and learning from communal knowledge. Through focus groups, surveys, workshops, and public meetings, we honor and respect the communities we serve, meeting them where they are.
A Placemaking Primer
We’ve spent a lot of time with our noses in books and our feet on the ground visiting magnetic places that feel like unique expressions of place. We shape our world, and the world shapes our daily life. A call to action to download our placemaking primer. Put in your email and download a resource.