Many cities and towns coast-to-coast have experienced remarkable turnarounds due in large part to "local heroes" who've introduced new ideas and innovative strategies to make a difference in their communities. Sometimes it's fixing a problem on a certain street corner, other times a dramatic revival of an entire downtown, but in every case these citizens spark community victories that spawn even more improvements in the future.

When it comes to building communities, the importance of the average citizen cannot be overestimated. Dave Marcucci in suburban Mississauga, Ontario started with a simple idea like putting a bench in front of his own house for neighbors to rest and socialize. Lily Yeh in Philadelphia envisioned a public art project to revive the spirits of a hard-hit inner city community. Jim Diers in Seattle sparked his neighborhood's imagination to revive a long-vacant business district. Jutta Mason overcame community fears by pulling together a group of neighbors, including teenagers thought of as the local "toughs," to bring life back to a local park in Toronto.

What these citizens have in common is that they are all what we at PPS call "zealous nuts," meaning they are dedicated to making their communities better places. They usually have a strong, intuitive sense about what makes neighborhoods safe, lively, prosperous and great. They know more about their communities than planners or experts because they live and work there, which gives them the insight on what needs to be done as well as the commitment to make it happen. These local heroes know how to make sure our favorite places are loved and well-cared-for. No lasting progress in any town or city ever happens without the involvement of these local heroes. It's as simple as that.

Talk with any local hero and they'll be more than happy to share the secrets of their success:

1. Become aware of a problem, which they see as detracting from the quality of life in the neighborhood.
2. Recognize that you can't wait for the authorities in government, foundations or other institutions to do anything about it because it will be perceived as too small or parochial, too controversial, not in keeping with the normal ways of doing business or that this problem doesn't fit neatly into the responsibilities of any one department.
3. Create a vision for what needs to be done, whether it is slowing traffic so their children can cross the street, saving old buildings to maintain the character of their community or getting to know their neighbors. Sometimes they create positive change very quickly by just acting on their own.
4. Launching a public campaign is sometimes a necessary further step, making alliances with others who are experiencing the same problems. Together, a way can be found to communicate important ideas to the entire community, which gets the ball rolling for positive change.

We are inspired over and over by the commitment, vision and warmth of the "zealous nuts" we meet. They truly are local heroes, and we tell many of their stories in the Great Neighborhood Book. Each neighborhood is different, yet local heroes all share the passion, patience, and love necessary to make improvements. We salute them all for making the world better by improving a small piece of it.