An Abundance of Abundance?

Later this month, Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson will release a book, Abundance, that should make a splash. Given the dynamism of our current political moment and the prominent podcast and print platforms of the book’s authors, it seems a foregone conclusion that this book, and the concepts of “Abundance” more generally, will resonate loudly in #govtech circles. Indeed, I expect “Abundance” to be a leading candidate for Word of the Year in 2025 — at least among champions of smart and connected communities.

In this post, I attempt to outline the energy behind what some call the Abundance-Focused Agenda and what an Abundance movement could mean for forward-looking local government leaders, including champions of broadband connectivity.

What is an Abundance-Focused Agenda?

A great first stop for anyone looking to learn about the concept of Abundance is www.inclusiveabundance.org--the on-line home of the Inclusive Abundance Initiative (IAI). IAI is a non-partisan, non-profit (501c4) organization. IAI is building a community of thought leaders and advocacy group that support an “abundance-focused agenda” and share a belief that inclusive dialogue can creating policies that both drive progress and unify/strengthen our nation IAI offers the following definition of an abundance focused agenda:

Abundance means shifting away from the scarcity mindset that dominates our political dialogue, too often upheld by those invested in maintaining the status quo. It’s about realigning incentive and redesigning processes to create a bigger, more inclusive economy.

A lot of the content featured by IAI centers on housing, energy and immigration policies. On the IAI site, one can find links to a broad array of articles related to the abundance-focused agenda; articles with titles including: “energy dominance hinges on permitting and power grid reforms,” “the right way to reform high skilled immigration” and “the silly rule that keeps housing costs high.” IAI thought leaders identify structural impediments to building the residential housing units needed to address a housing shortage and proposes new approaches. Similarly, in the energy and immigration space, IAI seems to feature writers exploring win-win rather than either-or policy approaches.

Implications of the Abundance Movement for Local Government Leaders, including broadband champions

While housing, energy and immigration are the hot topics of the day, the Inclusive Abundance agenda does not stop here. According to Derek Kaufmann, Founder and CEO of the Inclusive Abundance Initiative (IAI), IAI’s name “Inclusive Abundance” was selected with intention. IAI wants Abundance to include everyone, and Abundance should be “inclusive across many sectors and segments of our society.” The expansiveness of IAI’s vision of the Abundance movement is illustrated in the organization’s three central pillars or impact areas:

· Institutional Reform

· Human Potential

· The Built Environment

IAI celebrates new, rationalized zoning (so-called “City of Yes”) regulations passed in New York City both as a potential salve for NYC’s housing crisis and as an example of needed institutional reform in order to spur new construction. Remarkably, it has been 60-years since NYC had enacted a major reform of zoning laws!

Broadband infrastructure aligns with IAI’s Impact Areas framework as a critical enabler of modern economies and resilient communities. Just as restrictive zoning laws constrain housing supply and outdated permitting slows energy projects, regulatory and institutional barriers continue to limit broadband deployment — impacting local economic growth, workforce development, and the ability to attract new industries. Local governments play a key role in ensuring broadband is prioritized alongside other essential infrastructure to support business expansion, smart city initiatives, and workforce training programs.

It is around IAI’s three pillars that a local government change maker and/or a local champion of broadband-enabled services for residents can find intersection with IAI and the Abundance Movement. Local government leaders should consider leveraging the language of the Abundance movement to advance reform that remove barriers to broadband deployment and connectivity-driven services.

Local government leaders should consider leveraging the language of the Abundance movement to advance reform that remove barriers to broadband deployment and connectivity-driven services.

For example, champions of aging at home and telehealth applications know well that there are rules and regulations that limit the ability of forward-looking state, county and local government officials to embrace such services. Even though more and more seniors and individuals with chronic conditions have gained access to reliable broadband service in their homes, few localities have developed robust telehealth applications tailored for Medicaid recipients. Outdated policies — not a lack of technology or broadband infrastructure — often create unnecessary hurdles to advancement.

Concluding Thoughts

I see no reason that Abundance movement will not expand beyond housing and energy to embrace efforts to modernize rules and regulations covering other sectors, including telehealth and other connectivity-driven public services. Broadband-enabled services, from telehealth to smart infrastructure and digital workforce programs, illustrate how regulatory barriers — rather than technological limitations — can slow progress and innovation.. As thought leaders, we should identify more examples, more scenarios where institutional reform would permit more government leaders and their partners to utilize broadband networks to deliver services to community residents.

Of course, it is still an open question whether the Abundance movement will indeed have its moment in 2025. If the Abundance movement captures people’s attention, we — champions of smart and connected communities — should be prepared ride the wave.

About this Medium Site

On this Medium site, I explore an array of topics related to the transformative power of smart and connected communities. A central question for this observer of the so-called smart community movement: how will municipalities, real estate developers, universities and other leading organizations develop, deploy and support smart and connected community projects at scale?

I welcome feedback and comments from readers.