The threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic is global, but Allan Tranter believes our best response is hyper-local.
The founding director of Creating Communities says the solution to the problems we face lies in our own street. This is where we can make connections to support each other through difficult times.
In the latest offering in Creating Communities’ Stronger Together series of video conversations, Allan reminds us that a simple act like leaving a note in our neighbours’ letterboxes with our contact details and an offer of help can make all the difference.
He says we need to look to history where for thousands of years humans lived in connected communities where everyone relied on others for their survival. Advances in technology have allowed us to shun that way of life and focus more on ourselves, but the restrictions imposed on us to stop the spread of the virus provide an opportunity to change the way we live.
Basic things like smiling at someone when we pass them in the street, or a friendly wave at another driver remind us that we’re all in this together.
Allan Tranter is the founding director of Creating Communities. He is a former director of the WA Department of Sport and Recreation, and has led urban renewal projects across metropolitan and regional WA, working on projects that address significant issues in our society, such as ageing, multiculturalism and Aboriginal communities. Allan is chair of Nature Play WA, and has been on the board of companies including the Urban Development Institute of Australia and the Western Australian Technology Precinct.
This interview is part of Creating Communities’ series of video conversations with prominent Australians offering insights and wisdom on coping with the challenges this pandemic presents for all of us. It is a key part of our “Stronger Together” approach to the COVID-19 crisis as we work to bring people and communities together to help each other through this testing time.
