PLANNING |
Community Participation | uk
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Although they may just be words, we know that public ‘information’ rightly became replaced by ‘consultation’ and that this term is also falling into some disrepute, to be supplanted by ‘engagement’. We tend to prefer the term participation - as it implies a ‘we’re all in this together’ approach that we think genuinely applies to most of our work.
Yet, while we’re very clear that it’s real people we’re working with and for, it’s helpful to consider our true ‘client’ as the place we’re in - in this case the Bartholomew Square area of Brighton. This ensures we quickly establish a definite context that enables us to be clearer about who the main participants in this exercise should be.
We believe in arming these people with a sense of the possible rather than weighing them down at the outset with all the ‘why nots’. This means equipping people with the knowledge to make informed decisions, and we believe this is best achieved by talking first about sound principles of good design, and only then moving onto how these apply to specific locations and issues.
Although visits to see other places that have faced comparable challenges and done something about it can be useful in terms of educating fellow-professionals, we believe it is nigh on essential for those who have less day-today exposure to good practice from elsewhere. We don’t have to go far - it’s usually more convincing if the exemplars are not exotic anyway - but we do think it’s hugely beneficial for people to be enthused and informed in this way early on.
Encouraging people actively to participate, rather than coercing them, is a principal focus. The study visits usually help in this regard, as do the range of gaming techniques we have developed to help people evaluate critical decisions and understand the complexity of design and delivery.
We believe that if we start with the place’s problems we will only focus on its remedies, and we need more than that. We prefer to lead with propositions or ideas and use these to galvanise thought and opinion that are shaped over the duration of each project.
Our handbook, Public Protocol, details how we have developed a number of ways of working with local communities through extensive experience. We’re still, and always will be, looking for better ways, but we think the following four basic rules of participation are sound: STEP 1: Building Trust; STEP 2: Building Common Values; STEP 3: Building Understanding; STEP 4: Building Commitment
Overall, we believe participation needs to be - and can be - honest, interactive and fun. We never approach it as a chore, and although it can of course be hard work, so are many of the things we derive most enjoyment from as humans. We want the process of participation to be an excellent use of the time and resources of all concerned, and we’re pretty sure that’s what others want too.
Yet, while we’re very clear that it’s real people we’re working with and for, it’s helpful to consider our true ‘client’ as the place we’re in - in this case the Bartholomew Square area of Brighton. This ensures we quickly establish a definite context that enables us to be clearer about who the main participants in this exercise should be.
We believe in arming these people with a sense of the possible rather than weighing them down at the outset with all the ‘why nots’. This means equipping people with the knowledge to make informed decisions, and we believe this is best achieved by talking first about sound principles of good design, and only then moving onto how these apply to specific locations and issues.
Although visits to see other places that have faced comparable challenges and done something about it can be useful in terms of educating fellow-professionals, we believe it is nigh on essential for those who have less day-today exposure to good practice from elsewhere. We don’t have to go far - it’s usually more convincing if the exemplars are not exotic anyway - but we do think it’s hugely beneficial for people to be enthused and informed in this way early on.
Encouraging people actively to participate, rather than coercing them, is a principal focus. The study visits usually help in this regard, as do the range of gaming techniques we have developed to help people evaluate critical decisions and understand the complexity of design and delivery.
We believe that if we start with the place’s problems we will only focus on its remedies, and we need more than that. We prefer to lead with propositions or ideas and use these to galvanise thought and opinion that are shaped over the duration of each project.
Our handbook, Public Protocol, details how we have developed a number of ways of working with local communities through extensive experience. We’re still, and always will be, looking for better ways, but we think the following four basic rules of participation are sound: STEP 1: Building Trust; STEP 2: Building Common Values; STEP 3: Building Understanding; STEP 4: Building Commitment
Overall, we believe participation needs to be - and can be - honest, interactive and fun. We never approach it as a chore, and although it can of course be hard work, so are many of the things we derive most enjoyment from as humans. We want the process of participation to be an excellent use of the time and resources of all concerned, and we’re pretty sure that’s what others want too.
