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The Community Planning Event Manual
The Community
Planning
Event Manual
Tools for Community Planning
‘This book helps promote practical work that changes the way people deliver projects
in the sustainable communities sector. It is useful, user-friendly and easy to follow.
This is the kind of book the busy practitioners of today need to support them in their work.’
Professor Peter Roberts, chairman of ASC, the Academy for Sustainable Communities
‘Nick Wates is a trail blazer in communicating clear, concise and immediately useful tools
and techniques that transmit energy and make you want to get stuck in.
This publication is amongst a handful of documents that all urban practitioners should have to hand.’
Ian Munt, international urban governance consultant
‘Some books help you to learn – this one helps you to deliver! An invaluable tool.’
Professor Brian Evans, deputy chair, Architecture+Design Scotland and Partner, Gillespies LLP
‘The devil is as always in the detail, and Nick Wates’ Community Planning Event Manual provides it.’
Perry Walker, head, democracy and decision-making, New Economics Foundation
W
ant to improve your village? Your town? Your city? A community planning event may be just what
you have been waiting for. All over the world people are organizing dynamic collaborative events
to improve their surroundings. For a few intensive days, everyone concerned gets an opportunity to have
their say and be involved – residents, businesses, professionals and politicians. It’s effective and it’s fun.
With a Foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales and Introduction by John Thompson.
Nick Wates is director of Nick Wates Associates, community planning consultants, author of The Community
Planning Handbook (2000) and site editor of www.communityplanning.net.
THE ACADEMY
OF URBANISM
Planning/Urban Development
JOHN THOMPSON & PARTNERS
www.earthscan.co.uk
www.earthscan.co.uk
publishing for a sustainable future
publishing for a sustainable future
How to use Collaborative Planning
and Urban Design Events
to Improve your Environment
Nick Wates
From Nick Wates, author of the hugely successful Community Planning Handbook, comes this Event Manual,
the first on the subject, which explains why and how to organize community planning events. The book is
aimed at anyone – from concerned individuals to community groups to professional planners in business
and government – interested in the remarkable potential of community planning events. It includes a stepby-step guide, detailed checklists and other tools for event organisers. The method is user-friendly, flexible
and easy to employ in any context from small neighbourhood improvements to major infrastructure and
construction projects anywhere in the world.
The Community
Planning
Event Manual
Nick Wates
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Endorsements for this edition
"This book helps promote practical
work that changes the way people
deliver projects in the sustainable
communities sector. It is useful,
user-friendly and easy to follow, full
of case studies to illustrate ideas.
This is the kind of work the busy
practitioners of today need to support
them in their work.”
Professor Peter Roberts
Chairman
Academy for Sustainable Communities
“Just as planning decisions should be
tailored to suit the needs of the
community so too should the
processes that achieve those decisions.
This book advocates just that in a
manner that is accessible to both
community groups and planning
offices. The sections on financial
planning, event timescale and the final
chapter, Follow Up, are particularly
constructive.”
Dr Katharine Martindale
Director of Cities Research Alliance
“Some books help you to learn – this
one helps you to deliver! An invaluable
tool for anyone involved in community
planning.”
Professor Brian Evans
Deputy Chair
Architecture+Design Scotland
and Partner, Gillespies llp
“The devil is as always in the detail,
and Nick Wates’ Community Planning
Event Manual provides it. If you want
to know the effect of having carpet in
your venue, or what coloured Post-its
to use, this is the book for you.”
Perry Walker
Head of Democracy and Decision-making
New Economics Foundation
"Nick Wates is a trail blazer in
communicating clear, concise and
immediately useful tools and
techniques that transmit energy and
make you want to get stuck in. This
publication is amongst a handful of
documents that all urban practitioners
should have to hand."
Ian Munt
International Urban Governance Consultant
i
i
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Endorsements for the first edition*
“An extremely useful and practical
guide ... an invaluable source of very
down-to-earth advice on this approach
to community development.”
Town Planning Review
Liverpool University
April 1997
“Compiled with great care and
thoroughness. It lists the smallest
details to which attention needs to be
paid in order to make Community
Planning Events fruitful … The text is
succinct and well-illustrated … The
handbook illustrates the excitement
Community Planning events generated
in the USA and UK.”
Dr Meera Bapat
Open House International
No 3, 1996
“The book is marvellous. It’s so good
to see all those complexities so clearly
sorted out and under one cover. The
sequence is brilliant … A million
congrats on a job beautifully done.”
David Lewis
American Institute of Architects
April 1996
“A very interesting format for getting
the information across – I will be using
it with my students at Manchester as
part of the Architecture in the
Community Unit.”
John Bishop
PLACE, Manchester
11 October 1996
“A really useful ‘recipe’ book to help
make one’s own local ‘menu’ of a
community planning ‘meal’ to suit
one’s own taste! I keep it on my desk
all the time.”
Hilary Reed, Planning Department
Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council
8 October 1996
“Your ideas bring fresh air in the
bureaucratic world of planning
monotony.”
Professor Santosh Ghosh
Centre for Built Environment, Calcutta
16 September 1996
“A unique guide to the whole process
of Community Planning, particularly
suitable for those new to the concept
and who have a desire to take action
for themselves … Clearly and
attractively set out, the book is a joy to
handle – the size, weight and layout all
contribute to its being a truly handy
reference guide which encourages you
to use it. The text is simple, direct and
unpretentious … Its value has been
proven in the field – most recently in
Kazimierz, Krakow.”
Partnership Action
11 June 1996
“Comprehensive and accessible which
is crucial for communities wishing to
use these tools for themselves.”
Romy Shovelton
Wikima Consulting
12 January 1996
*Titled Action Planning, published in 1996 by The Prince of Wales’s Institute of Architecture, London.
ii
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The Community
Planning
Event Manual
‘Where there is no vision, the people perish.’
Proverbs 29:18
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The Community
Planning
Event Manual
How to use Collaborative
Planning and Urban Design Events
to Improve your Environment
Compiled and edited by
Nick Wates
Foreword by
HRH The Prince of Wales
Introduction by
John Thompson
With the generous support of
The Academy of Urbanism
English Partnerships
John Thompson & Partners and
The Prince’s Foundation
London • Sterling, VA
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The Community Planning Event Manual
Compiler and Editor: Nick Wates
Design and production: Jeremy Brook, Graphic Ideas, Hastings
Cover design: Susanne Harris
Printed and bound by: Gutenberg Press, Malta
Editorial Advisory Group: Joanna Allen, Harriet Baldwin, Ben Bolgar, Charles
Campion, Nicola Forde, Eléonore Hauptmann, James Hulme, Eva Nickel, Debbie
Radcliffe, Geraldine Reilly, Wendy Sarkissian, Firas Sharaf, Lucien Steil, John
Thompson, Louise Waring, Andreas von Zadow
First published by Earthscan in the UK and USA in 2008
In association with The Academy of Urbanism and The Prince’s Foundation
with the generous support of English Partnerships and John Thompson & Partners
Copyright © Nick Wates 2008
All rights reserved
ISBN 978-1-84407-492-1
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data has been applied for
Individual pages may be freely copied for use in preparing for – or running –
Community Planning Events providing the source is visible on all copies.
See www.communityplanning.net for updates and further information
This book is a revised and updated version of Action Planning
Published in 1996 by The Prince of Wales’s Institute of Architecture
in association with the Urban Villages Forum and with the support of
English Partnerships and Inner City Aid. Translations were published in Chinese
(1996), German (1997) and Czech (1999).
Editorial Board: Ros Tennyson, John Thompson, Nick Wates.
ISBN 978-1-898465-11-9
For a full list of Earthscan publications please contact:
Earthscan Publications Ltd
Dunstan House, 14a St Cross Street, London EC1N 8XA, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7841 1930 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7242 1474
Email: earthinfo@earthscan.co.uk
web: www.earthscan.co.uk
Freestanding quotations are from written statements or from interviews by the
editor unless otherwise indicated. To avoid confusion the term ‘Action Planning’
has been changed to ‘Community Planning Event’ throughout.
The paper used for the text pages of this book is FSC certified. FSC (the Forest
Stewardship Council) is an international network to promote responsible
management of the world’s forests.
Cover photographs: Design workshops at Community Planning Events in Woking,
UK (left) and Leverkeusen, Germany (right)
Frontispiece: Workshop sessions at a Community Planning Event in Pontefract,
Yorkshire, UK
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Contents
Preface
by English Partnerships
Foreword
by HRH The Prince of Wales
Introduction
by John Thompson
Using this book
viii
x
xii
xviii
1 Overview
Philosophy
Key features of Community
Planning Events
Benefits of Community
Planning Events
Why Community Planning
Events work
Community Planning
Event process
1
2
10
2 Getting started
Taking the plunge
Organisation
Support bodies
Funding
13
14
16
18
20
3 Preparation
Managing
Motivating people
Team selection
Student support
Information gathering
Publicity
Venues
Fittings and services
Equipment and supplies
Computers and information
technology
23
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
38
40
4
6
8
44
4 The event
Timetabling
Sample timetables for some
event types
• Collaborative Design Workshop
• Community Planning Weekend
• Enquiry by Design
• Reinvigorate
• Stakeholder Participation Day
Briefing
Topic workshops
Opening plenary workshop
Design workshops
Design workshop variations
Plenary report backs
Team working
Report production
Sample reports
Public presentation
47
48
5 Follow-up
What next?
Evaluation
83
84
86
50
52
54
56
58
60
62
64
66
68
70
72
74
76
78
80
Appendices
Brief history
Publications and sources
Contacts
Early events listing
Case study snapshots
Glossary
Flowchart perspectives
Community Planning
Event summary
Community Planning
Event planner
Acknowledgements
Spreading good practice
Photo and illustration credits
Quotation credits
89
90
92
94
96
98
102
104
Index
117
106
108
110
112
114
116
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Preface
Definition
used in this book
A Community
Planning Event is a
carefully structured
collaborative event at
which all stakeholders,
including the local
community, work
closely with
independent specialists
from all relevant
disciplines to make
plans for the future of
that community or
some aspects of it.
“Community involvement is an
essential element in delivering
sustainable development and
creating sustainable and safe
communities. In developing the
vision for their areas, planning
authorities should ensure that
communities are able to
contribute to ideas about how
that vision can be achieved,
have the opportunity to
participate in the process of
drawing up the vision, strategy
and specific plan policies, and to
be involved in development
proposals.”
Planning Policy Statement
No 1: Delivering Sustainable
Development, Office of the
Deputy Prime Minister, UK,
2005
viii
This book on how to organise Community Planning
Events was first published in 1996. Titled ‘Action
Planning’ it was based on a handbook on ‘urban
design assistance teams’ produced in the United States
but was adapted to include experience gained in
Europe experimenting with a similar approach.
The first edition of this book boosted growing interest
in collaborative urban design processes and in the
development of ‘community planning’ – planning
carried out with the active participation of end users.
There has been a huge growth in community planning
activity internationally over the past decade. In some
countries, like the UK, it has become an integral part
of the planning process and new and improved
approaches are continually emerging.
This revised and updated edition of the book,
incorporating experience gained since the first edition –
and retitled to reflect how the activity has become
known – is therefore extremely timely. Combined with
the website www.communityplanning.net, it will allow
those organising events to benefit from up-to-date best
practice and stimulate further innovation and
improvement to the process.
English Partnerships, the UK’s national regeneration
agency, has been at the forefront in promoting
innovative methods for community engagement and
professional working. We are delighted to have
assisted with the production of the first two editions of
this important publication.
Steve Carr
Director of Policy and Economics
English Partnerships
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
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Page ix
Preface
End product – sustainable
communities
Two award winning major new
UK developments shaped by
Community Planning Events.
Above: Upton, Northampton –
a sustainable urban extension
with 1,000 new homes
masterplanned by The Prince’s
Foundation using an Enquiry by
Design.
Below: The Village at Caterham,
Surrey – a mixed use
neighbourhood with 366 new
homes to a plan by John
Thompson & Partners arising
from a community planning
weekend attended by 1,000
people.
(See page 100 for project details.)
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
ix
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Foreword
HRH The Prince of Wales taking part in a Community Planning Event
at Poundbury, Dorchester, UK. Over 2,000 people attended the 5-day
‘planning weekend’ to explore the implications of building a new
town on Duchy of Cornwall property. Over 75% of the 400 people
who filled in a questionnaire thought the event worthwhile and
almost 90% wanted continued involvement as the project progressed.
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
xi
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From pioneering
to mainstream
Introduction by John Thompson
Twenty years ago, I took part in a Community Planning
Event in Pittsburgh, USA which radically changed the way
I have practised as an architect and urbanist since. It was
described as an Urban Design Assistance Team and for
several days I worked intensively with other professionals
and with members of the Pittsburgh community – drawn
from all walks of life – devising proposals to improve
what was then a very depressed city.
Community involvement in
planning
Design workshop at a
Community Planning Event
“People like Marilyn came along
to the Community Planning
Weekend and she’s still one of
the great champions. Look at
the amazing contribution she’s
made to young people’s lives ...
It’s all about people getting
involved with where they live –
that is what really matters.”
Bob Evans
Tandridge Borough Council
xii
Since then, our practice, John Thompson & Partners,
has adopted and adapted the key team working and
participatory planning techniques that I first discovered
in Pittsburgh. We progressed from being community
architects involving residents in designing their own
homes to community planners, using similar methods
at a neighbourhood, town or city scale. ‘Charrettes’
and ‘Community Planning Events’ have become central
to our philosophy and we are now applying these
techniques on a wide variety of place-making projects
throughout Europe and in countries and cultures as
diverse as Iceland, Russia and Abu Dhabi.
We believe that sustainable development is most
effectively achieved if the knowledge and commitment
of stakeholders is engaged at every stage of the
process. A structured participatory process enables the
community, the private sector and the local authority
to work together in a creative way, which ultimately
adds value at all levels – physical, social, economic
and environmental – leading to better and more
sustainable places.
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
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Introduction
Community Planning Events can be extremely
successful both in galvanising community participation
and in allowing collective decisions to be made in an
efficient and effective way. An event that has been
properly designed has the ability to create a unique
chemistry of activity and energy, allowing all the
potential players to work towards a common goal in a
more effective way than by using conventional
professional methods alone.
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
New approach to planning
Interdisciplinary, collaborative
and community-based.
Walkabout by architects and
local residents during a
Community Planning Event in
Pontefract and Castleford,
Yorkshire, UK. John Thompson
is far left
xiii
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Introduction
During the collaborative Community Planning Event
process we take people up the ‘ladder of participation’
(see illustration opposite) to the point where they
understand more about what is possible and what is
not. Citizens from all walks of life learn about design
and planning. Development professionals learn what
citizens need in order to have a good quality of life. As
a result, all those participating in the process begin to
understand that the way forward is about negotiation,
reconciliation and compromise. Once people share
knowledge, a shared vision for the future becomes
possible. One is closer to achieving consensus.
Making use of local
knowledge and commitment
Plenary sessions at Community
Planning Events
“After the Community Planning
Weekend at Caterham Barracks
we set up a series of small topic
groups and through these
meetings the public actually
came to believe in what we
were trying to do. People also
came to realise that things
weren’t as easy as they seemed,
and everything has a price as
well. If you want lots of
wonderful things somebody has
to pay for it. For the developer
to pay for it, the developer has
to be making a profit. So the
message got through – and
that’s one of the benefits of
collaborative planning.”
Colm Lennon
Planning Consultant
xiv
The state of the art has progressed a great deal since the
first edition of this book. Twelve years ago most of our
Community Planning Events were organized for public
sector clients. Since then we have demonstrated that
they can be very worthwhile for the private sector too.
The breakthrough was at Caterham in Surrey (see
pages ix, 5 and 100) where a five-day community
planning weekend about what to do with a redundant
army barracks was attended by over 1,000 people. The
process transformed the community’s previous hostility
to any new development into positive support for the
creation of a mixed use scheme that increased the
development value of the site by £50 million and
provided £2.5 million worth of new community
benefits, to be partly owned and run by a not-for-profit
community development trust; that represents
increased development value of £10 million and
community benefits worth £0.5 million for each day of
the Community Planning Event. In addition, because
everyone affected was involved in developing the
proposal, the scheme passed quickly through the
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
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Introduction
Ladder of participation
Community planning can take
communities as far up the
ladder as they want to go; but
beware of starting unless you
are prepared to go to at least
the fourth step
Engaging young stakeholders
John Thompson (right) gets young people involved in planning their
future environment by facilitating an outdoor Post-it note brainstorm
during a Community Planning Event
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
xv
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Page xvi
Introduction
“If your own ideas are turned
into reality, then you make sure
they work!”
“We should work together to
develop a Vision – the
community and the
stakeholders.”
“Community planning is
important – after all, we have to
live with the consequences and
the decisions that are made.”
“We should see if together we
can come up with something
more acceptable – we shouldn’t
just dismiss this – we are getting
an opportunity to take control
of our own area.”
“I think we younger people
should be involved as well after all, it’s our future too!”
“Edinburgh wasn’t built over
night – it’s taken generations to
get where we are now. There is
probably not one simple
solution but community
planning gives us an
opportunity to tease out various
options.”
“There’s a small heartbeat of
community here, but it needs to
be made into a big heartbeat
again – community planning
seems to be a way of helping
that happen.”
Participants at community
planning weekends
xvi
formal statutory planning process with no need for costly
and time-consuming public enquiries. The development
industry and government sat up and took notice.
Government commitment to community involvement
in planning has increased dramatically in many
countries and this is to be welcomed. But it is mostly
seen as ‘consultation’ rather than ‘participation’. The
danger is that it may become merely formulaic, leading
to superficial tick-box exercises carried out with little
belief in the value of the outcomes.
It is crucial to recognise the difference between
participation and consultation: consultation is now
obligatory (in the UK and many other countries) but
participation is not. Consultation without participation
is simply asking people to agree with what has already
been decided by others and is likely to prompt a
negative reaction. Full participation, as in a properly
organised Community Planning Event and ongoing
process is not about getting people to agree to
proposals drawn up by professionals; it is about
creating better proposals and therefore better places.
Improving quality of life becomes a shared goal,
around which a vision for the future and specific
projects can then be developed.
One of the most urgent challenges facing humankind
is how to build more sustainable cities, towns and
villages. Places that consume less energy, create less
pollution and that are uplifting to live and work in. The
quest is to identify and determine new forms of
urbanism fit for the 21st century.
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
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Introduction
Community planning can play a vital role in taking this
agenda forward and accelerating its delivery. The
events described in this manual can produce results,
and quickly. They can be used for any scale of project
and the formula can be adapted in an infinite number
of ways to suit different circumstances. This book will
be an invaluable tool for guiding you along the way.
Shared goals
Applause during a report back
from workshop groups on how
to make the neighbourhood
better for everyone
John Thompson
Chairman, John Thompson & Partners
Chairman, The Academy of Urbanism
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
xvii
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Using this book
Organised well, Community Planning Events can be
immensely rewarding. Organised badly, they can be a
sad waste of energy. The formula is open to abuse
unless good practice principles are followed.
This manual brings together experience gained to date.
It is for anyone wanting to organise an event. It
focusses on the classic 6-day ‘community planning
weekend’, but the same basic principles apply to
shorter or longer events.
The book has been designed to be useful before,
during and after events. Double-page spreads are
self-contained and include handy sample documents
and checklists with space for your own additions.
Pages can be blown up to create exhibition panels or
reduced to form leaflets or working documents.
This edition is also integrated with the Community
Planning Website (www.communityplanning.net)
where further and constantly updated material can be
found.
An important part of the process is tailoring the
formula to meet your specific needs. Use the book as a
guide and stimulant, not a blueprint.
Community Planning Events keep evolving. Comments
from readers and feedback from events would
therefore be most welcome for compiling future
editions and updating the website.
Please send to:
A5 A4
A3
A2
Modular
Copy pages as exhibition posters
or leaflets (no copyright problems
providing you credit the source).
xviii
The Editor, Community Planning Event Manual
Email: info@nickwates.co.uk
or use the feedback facilities on:
www.communityplanning.net
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Page xix
Using this book
Book Features
Checklist for large-scale event. Adjust
accordingly.
A ESSENTIAL ITEMS
for most events
អ Aerial photographs
អ Banners and directional signs with
fixings
អ Base maps and plans of the area at
different scales (1:200 and 1:400 most
c
Sample timetables
Use these to understand the different event types
and who needs to attend when
DAY 1 THURSDAY
BRIEFING
08.00
Setting up
Room arrangements. Delivery
of equipment and supplies.
Erection of banners and signs
12.00
Team assembles
13.00
Buffet lunch
Welcome by hosts, sponsors etc
Sample Briefing
Pack Letter
Dear
Anytown Community Planning Event
Many thanks for agreeing to take part in this
event as: [insert role, ie Team member, Advisor,
Admin staff, student support].
A briefing pack is enclosed containing the
following information for you to look at before
you arrive:
•
•
•
•
Mission statement
Team list with roles and responsibilities
Biographical notes on Team members
PRIN CIPLES
Equipment and
Supplies
Sample documents
Use these to save time
• Essential ingredients
Ignore at your peril
TIPS
Checklists
Use these to plan your own events
• Good ideas
Based on experience
1
Explanatory images
Photos and illustrations aim to clarify the process
and provide inspiration. They have been selected
from a variety of events over the past two
decades. Details can be found in the Photo and
illustration credits on page 114
Insights and inspiration
Quotations from a range of event participants
over the years. Sources on page 116
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
Related website
Check for further information and updates
www.communityplanning.net
xix
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Page xx
“I only went to be nosy. I just went to see what was going on and
before I knew what had happened I was in the thick of it. I went
Friday, Saturday, went back Sunday for an hour or two and then
Monday night as well. I thought it was brilliant. I really enjoyed it.
Very hard work but really exciting. It took me a week to sleep
properly afterwards; all these ideas were springing back into my
head. What made the weekend so good was having professional
people there with local people as well. That was the ideal
combination. Having everybody in one room together slogging it out
got a lot of good ideas out.”
Donna Fallows, resident, London, speaking after participating in a
Community Planning Weekend (shown above with baby)
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Page 1
Section 1
Overview
Philosophy
Key features of Community Planning Events
Benefits of Community Planning Events
Why Community Planning Events work
Community Planning Event process
2
4
6
8
10
1
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Page 2
Overview
Philosophy
Community Planning Events have not suddenly been
invented. Rather, the technique has evolved – and is
still evolving – from practical experience in many parts
of the world. It can best be seen as part of an
emerging technology of ‘community planning’ which
makes it easier for people to participate in the creation
and management of their built environment and
enables developers and planners to use the experience
and knowledge of local people to create better places.
Interdisciplinary, collaborative
and community-based
Design workshop at a
Community Planning Event
“If more towns, villages and
cities held regular, cathartic
events which examined what
exactly was happening to their
citizens’ habitat and attempted
to seek solutions which met
with the broad approval of the
public through a process which
mixed professional, public and
private interests we would have,
I think, a much better country –
one where the rejection of the
architect would not be
automatic and the dead hand of
professional planning would be
removed.”
Lee Mallett
Journalist
*R/UDAT Handbook 1992, page 84
2
The underlying philosophy of community planning is
interdisciplinary, collaborative and community-based;
enabling all those affected (known as ‘stakeholders’) to
participate in the planning process. The premise is that
better environments can be created if local
communities are involved from an early stage, working
closely and directly with a wide range of specialists.
In arriving at the process described in this book,
practitioners have drawn on experience from many
disciplines including company management, human
psychology and urban design.
As a clearly defined planning technique, Community
Planning Events lasting 4 to 6 days (the main focus of
this book) were pioneered over 40 years ago in the
United States. By the mid 1990s over one-tenth of that
nation’s population was estimated to have benefited
from over 125 events in a programme run by the
American Institute of Architects alone.* Other national,
state and local institutions also promoted similar
activity.
From the mid 1980s, Community Planning Events
surfaced in Europe. The American approach was
adapted to the different cultural conditions and fused
with European regeneration experience.
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Overview
Countless ‘community planning weekends’ and ‘urban
design action team’ events lasting 4 to 6 days have
now been held in the UK and mainland Europe. At the
same time a variety of related initiatives have evolved,
including 1-day ‘stakeholder participation days’,
‘Enquiry by Design’ events and urban design ‘task
forces’ lasting several weeks.
The initiative for organising events has come mostly
from professional institutions and practitioners keen to
explore more creative methods. Developers, community
organisations and local authorities have become willing
supporters as they seized the opportunity to work
positively with the other parties involved. Recently
there has been increasing interest from national
governments which have begun to see the economic
and social benefits that can result. Statutory planning
policy in some countries, the UK for instance, now
encourages the methodology of Community Planning
Events but does not yet specify when or how they
should be organised.
In the meantime, events continue to be organised on
an ad-hoc basis and the number of enthusiasts grows.
An extraordinary feature of the Community Planning
Event phenomenon is the way that people who have
experienced one become convinced of their value.
There is still much systematic evaluation and
refinement needed. But those involved in the
development of this relatively new activity are
confident it will come to play a major role in the future
planning and management of human settlements
worldwide.
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
Uses for
Community
Planning
Events
•
City futures
Devising new visions for
the future of a city or
region
•
Regeneration strategies
For declining industrial or
inner city areas
•
Sustainable
development strategies
Developing strategies for
sustainable development in
the light of global warming
•
Traffic solutions
Resolving congestion in
historic town centres or
exploring new transport
options
•
Site proposals
Devising and testing
development proposals for
sites or buildings
•
Building design
Exploring design options
for historic or new
buildings
•
New towns
Exploring the best way of
building major new
settlements or integrating
new development with old
•
Development plans
Involving the public in the
early stages of preparing
statutory development
plans
3
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Overview
You are
invited to a
UNITY
COMM ING
PLANN D
N
WEEKE
Enquir
y by
Design
TE
IGORA
REINV
Stakeh
o
Partici lder
pation
Day
E
ORATIV
B
A
L
L
CO
DESIGN P
SHO
WORK
“I cannot think of another
opportunity where such lengthy
meetings can take place
amongst experts in their own
fields discussing issues to their
bitter conclusion. This is
incredibly stimulating since
thought processes build on
themselves exponentially and
realistic solutions to seemingly
impossible problems become
apparent.”
Michael Baynes
Development Surveyor
4
Key features of
Community Planning
Events
There are several common types of Community
Planning Event and a variety of labels have been used
to describe them. Common features are:
• Thorough preparation
Careful planning and organisation involving all key
stakeholders.
• Intensive work
A fast-paced, intensive programme of work sessions
– lasting for one or several days and sometimes
spanning a weekend.
• Community participation (not just consultation)
Everyone affected is encouraged to be involved in
developing and exploring ideas and options.
• Broad mission
All the problems and opportunities of a particular
site, neighbourhood, city or region are examined in
a holistic manner with minimum preconceptions.
• Multidisciplinary teamwork
People from all relevant disciplines and trades work
closely together in a hands-on, non-hierarchical way.
• Expert facilitation
Events are mostly run by experienced, usually
independent, facilitators. This helps provide a
neutral forum for debate and confidence in the
outcome.
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Overview
• High-profile communication
Events are highly publicised to ensure that everyone
has the opportunity to get involved and that results
are widely disseminated. They normally end with a
public presentation and written report.
• Rapid and ongoing feedback
Results are fed back to those participating and the
wider public as quickly as possible and an ongoing
relationship is established.
• Flexibility
The process can easily be adjusted to suit the needs
of each particular community both during
preparation and during the event.
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
Holistic vision
Illustrative masterplan for a new
development to regenerate
Caterham Barracks, Surrey,
conceived and drawn up by
John Thompson & Partners
during a Community Planning
Event and ongoing public
participation.
Top: site as then existing
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Overview
Benefits of
Community Planning
Events
Community Planning Events can achieve objectives
which are hard to achieve in any other way. These
include:
• Creation of shared visions for a community’s
future and identification of long- and short-term
strategies for implementing them.
• Catalyst for action of all kinds by releasing
blockages in the development process.
Heightened public awareness
Walkabout during a Community
Planning Event
“The process can make a
significant contribution to the
designing of a new
development, delivering a much
higher environmental, social and
economic performance than has
been the case of development
over the past 60 years or so.
Typically the process can achieve
in one week a design vision that
would normally have taken two
years to achieve in the
conventional planning system.
This is due to the process being
simultaneously interactive rather
than the sequentially reactive
process of the current system.”
The Prince’s Foundation
6
• Resolution of complex problems or at least a
clearer identification of issues and goals.
• Revitalisation of local networks for community
development.
• Fostering of consensus building among different
interest groups leading to better integration and
long-term partnerships.
• Promotion of urban design capability of local
agencies and improvement of environmental
standards.
• Heightened public awareness of development
issues resulting from the provision of an open forum
for debate.
• Morale boost for all those involved as a result of
experiencing team working.
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Overview
Typical Outcomes
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Identification of issues and opportunities
Agreed objectives and achievable targets
Visions for an area’s future
Agendas for action and action plans
Proposals for a particular site or programme
Suggestions for organisational changes
Local coalitions and leadership
Typical Products
Immediate
Proposals for action set out in:
• Broadsheet and press release
• Illustrated report
• Exhibition
• Presentation (generally Powerpoint)
• Project website
Short term
• Local steering committees to follow up
• Periodic progress reports
• Draft development brief and/or draft tender
• Ongoing community forums to develop further ideas
Long term
• Ongoing programme of implementation
• Evaluation of the impact of the event
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
Shared visions
Getting public, private and
voluntary sectors to move in the
same direction. Cartoon
depicting the main stakeholders
at a Community Planning Event
Community
Planning Events
are NOT:
• A substitute for a
statutory planning
framework.
• A substitute for
long-term participatory
programmes.
• A technique for
consultation only; it
is a participatory process.
• A way of replacing
services of local
professionals and
officials.
• A way of imposing ideas
on a community from
outside.
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Overview
Why Community
Planning Events work
Community Planning Events ‘work’ because the process
combines a unique mix of ingredients which respond to
the complexity of today’s development issues:
Sense of equity and trust
Post-it board at a Community
Planning Event
“I know from my own
experience that Community
Planning Events can create a
shared vision for regeneration
and bring innovative solutions
from the people who have to
live with the effects. They instill
a sense of ownership ensuring
that the outcomes are more
sustainable.”
David Taylor
First Chief Executive
English Partnerships
8
• Open community involvement
There is scope for all members of the community,
including minorities, to participate in a wide variety
of ways. This can lead to a new sense of cohesion
and consensus on goals, the formation of new
partnerships and the development of a sense of
equity and trust.
• Creative working methods
Professionals of all disciplines work in a hands-on
manner with each other and with non-professionals
in a neutral environment. This breaks down
conventional professional boundaries and fosters
understanding between people which can be
magnetic; releasing spirit, humour, imagination,
positive thinking and collective creativity.
• Dynamism
The carefully structured timetable creates a focus of
public attention and provides deadlines for results.
A critical mass of activity is generated creating
momentum for change.
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Overview
• Local expertise
Participation by local residents, businesses and
professionals ensures that the whole process is
embedded in the local context and runs smoothly.
Inside knowledge of the urban or rural context is
essential for a successful planning process.
• Fresh thinking
The intensive and collaborative process provides an
opportunity for new ideas and new ways of working
which can overcome past divisions and indecision.
So previously unimagined proposals can emerge.
• Visual approach
The use of urban design techniques of drawing and
model-making provides an easily accessible way for
people to think about, and communicate, visions for
their community’s future.
• Realism
The process addresses the physical, natural, social
and economic environments as they are – rather
than as abstract concepts – and ensures that the
community’s real concerns are placed on the
agenda.
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
Unique chemistry
Professionals, local residents,
politicians and developers take
time off for group photographs
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Overview
Community Planning Event p
What the four main parties involved do during the four phases
L
Getting Started
1–2 months*
“It’s a fantastic way of
putting a major scheme
together and could
revolutionise the way we do
commercial development.”
Local Interests
• Stimulate action
• Establish Steering
Group and Host (see below)
Individuals and
organisations
Barry Wick
developer
Steering Group/
Host/Organiser
PART IE S
Main enthusiasts and
technical advisors
Facilitators and
Event Team
•
•
•
•
•
Formation/appointment
Explore options for action
Prepare proposal
Stimulate action
Secure commitment
from all affected parties
• Raise funds
• Commitment to proceed
• Provide advice
Specialists from
complementary
disciplines
Support Bodies
International, national
and regional organisations
• Supply general
information and advice
• Evaluation visit if requested
*Timescales
Community Planning Events can be of varying lengths but the
process remains more or less the same. The length of the event and
the lead times will be determined by the nature of the issues faced
and the extent and capacity of existing local networks. Timescales
10
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Overview
t process
s
of any event
Follow-up
L
The Event
L
L
Preparation
P H A S ES
2–4 months*
several days*
ongoing*
• Build momentum,
enthusiasm and
expectation through
discussion and by
focussing attention on
the main issues
• Participate in public
sessions
• Analyse proposals
• Develop support for
strategies and projects
• Apply pressure for
implementation
• Ongoing participation
• Select Team Chairperson,
Team members, Advisors
and consultants
• Establish administration
• Identify key stakeholders
• Prepare publicity strategy
• Prepare venues
• Publicise
• Event management and
administration
• Assess proposals
and prioritise
• Agree plan of action
• Publicity
• Spearhead and
coordinate
implementation
• Maintain momentum
• Homework on the locality
and the Community
Planning process
• Reconnaissance visit
(by Chairperson at least)
• Warm up events in
local communities and
with special groups
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Revisit and assist
as requested
• Supply detailed
information and contacts
• Observe
• Participate
• Assist if asked
Arrive
Reconnaissance
Briefings
Topic workshops or plenary
Design workshops
Brainstorm
Prepare proposals
Presentation
Leave
• Monitor and evaluate
• Assist if asked
shown above have been found to be the most effective for major urban design issues of, say, a
neighbourhood or city. Compressed timescales work well for simpler issues such as making proposals for a
single site. Shorter lead times are possible where local networks are well developed. Longer lead times can
be useful for building community capacity. (See also Flowchart perspectives on page 104.)
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Organising
Steering Group meeting for key stakeholders to prepare for a
Community Planning Event (top); organiser’s team meeting (bottom)
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Section 2
Getting started
Taking the plunge
Organisation
Support bodies
Funding
14
16
18
20
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Getting Started
Taking the plunge
Here are 8 things to do before deciding to hold a
Community Planning Event:
1 Read right through this manual to understand what
will be involved. Check other sources (see Publications
and sources, page 92, and the Publications & Films
A–Z on www.communityplanning.net).
2 Discuss it with people who have done it before and
organisations that might provide support (see
Contacts, page 94 and the Contacts A–Z and Case
Studies on www.communityplanning.net).
3 Form a Steering Group to oversee the event. This
should reflect the community’s diversity and include
all main enthusiasts and key players.
Mission
Post-it board at a
Community Planning Event.
Citizens express what their
neighbourhood needs
“The huge amount of effort
invested in this weekend
has paid dividends. The
event has not only resulted
in a coherent vision for
Hulme 5 (housing estate),
but has also shifted
entrenched attitudes and
ploughed through
prejudice. Hulme will never
be the same again – and
neither will those who
attended.”
Lesley Whitehouse
regeneration company
Chief Executive
4 Think through what kind of event is likely to be most
suitable for the issues you face. Use the Community
Planning Event planner on page 108. Consider
holding a Process Planning session with key
stakeholders (see Methods A–Z on
www.communityplanning.net). Consider
appointing an experienced consultant to assist you
with this.
5 Prepare budget estimates and a funding strategy (see
Funding page 20).
6 Write a ‘mission statement’ setting out the objectives
and how and by whom they are going to be
achieved (see samples on next page).
7 Decide whether to hold an event under the umbrella
of a regional, national or even international
organisation (see Support bodies page 18).
8 Check whether you have, or can you be sure of
getting:
keen Steering Group, Host and organiser?
enough funding or support in kind?
experienced facilitators and technical experts?
clear and achievable mission statement?
capability to follow up afterwards?
If the answer is yes, go for it. If not think again.
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Getting Started
Sample Mission Statements
New Visions for Anytown
Anytown is suffering from a number of difficulties caused by the decline of traditional
industries and lack of investment for housing maintenance. There is high unemployment,
homelessness, a number of derelict sites in the town centre and a general sense of
uncertainty and despondence. Several solutions have been put forward over recent years but
little action has taken place because of lack of agreement on priorities and lack of funds.
It is proposed to organise a Community Planning Event next spring. The objective is to create
a new vision for the town by inviting all members of the community to explore possible
options with a team of specialists from elsewhere. A programme of long- and short-term
action will be drawn up. A 4-day event is proposed spanning the weekend before Easter. This
fits in well with the town council’s deadline for a response to developers’ proposals for some
of the town centre derelict sites and a conference a month later on new initiatives for
sustainability in the town.
The event is being organised by the Anytown Environment Network in association with the
National Urban Trust. It is supported by Anytown Council and the Anytown Chamber of
Commerce. Sponsors include Shell and Greenpeace. Architects Company, which has
considerable experience of Community Planning, will be engaged to provide the
administration and a technical support team will be provided by Anytown College Urban
Design Department. The National Urban Trust will assist with assembling the Team of
specialists and will monitor progress after the event has taken place.
Anyvillage Traffic Management
Increased traffic in Anyvillage is causing problems for residents and traders alike. Parking is
hard to find and there have been several unpleasant incidents involving abuse and even
violence on one occasion. Proposals by the local planning department for new car parks have
been widely opposed.
Anyvillage parish council proposes to hold a 1-day Community Planning Event to
explore some options. The event will take place during the day and evening to ensure that
everyone who wants to has an opportunity to take part. A Team of transport and urban
design specialists will facilitate the event and make recommendations. In preparing for the
event, the parish council is being assisted by the village school, which is making a model, and
officers from the county council planning department. Support and advice is also being
provided by the national Civic Trust.
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Getting Started
Organisation
Community Planning Events may be initiated by any
individual or organisation. Once the idea has taken root
there are various organisational models but most fit
within a standard structure (shown on facing page).
Building partnerships
Producing a sheet of
notepaper is a good way to
think through how to
position the event
“A proper charrette brings
into being a collective
intelligence … And it does
this with stunning efficiency.
No one should waste their
time. No one should feel
stymied. The negotiations
should take place – not
during the adversarial
circumstances of the
municipal hearing when the
plan is already fixed – but
during the ongoing creation
of the plan, when most plan
components are at the
maximum pitch of flexibility.”
Andrès Duany, Foreword,
The Charrette Handbook
• Existing participation mechanisms should be built on
but a new single-minded organisational mechanism
should be created for the event.
• Ultimate responsibility for hosting the event should
be taken by a single organisation but this will often
be on behalf of a partnership of relevant interests,
usually formalised as a Steering Group. The Host
may appoint an experienced Organiser.
• A Team of independent specialists should be
appointed to take responsibility for facilitating the
event and making recommendations afterwards.
Team members may be from a regular consultancy or
be individually handpicked. They may be paid or be
volunteers.*
• The Team Chairperson should be carefully selected.
He or she may wish to work with a core group with
previous experience of working together. During the
event, the Team Chairperson should be in sole charge.
TIPS
Organised by
Anytown Environment Network
in association with the
National Urban Trust
Supported by
Anytown Town Council and
Anytown Chamber of Commerce
Sponsored by Shell and
Greenpeace
PRINCIPLES
Anytown
Community
Planning Weekend
3–7 October 2008
• Invite non-independent specialists (eg local planners
and community leaders) to participate as Advisors
rather than Team members. Otherwise the validity of
the recommendations may be jeopardised.
* It used to be common practice, particularly in America, for Team members
to receive expenses only and to agree not to accept commissions arising
from their recommendations. But the process is increasingly becoming part
of standard professional work practice with Team members being paid fees
accordingly. Both approaches have their strengths. The important thing is
to have clear and open policies.
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Getting Started
Organisation
framework
Working arrangements for
a Community Planning Event
Local
Interests
M M M M Voluntary agencies
M
Other special interests
M (eg
education, religions)
Public authorities
Employers
Citizens/Residents
M
Developers
Steering Group
Coordinating partnership of
main enthusiasts, key players
(eg landowners, planners) plus
representatives of a range
of local interests
Support Bodies
M
Consultants
Specialists in many
disciplines
M
Professions
National and
regional
Host
Organisation taking formal
responsibility (often ‘in
association with’ others)
M
Team Chairperson
Experienced facilitator
Team
Organiser
Independent specialists
often from outside the area
with range of skills
and experience
Architecture or planning-related
consultancy, institution or nongovernmental organisation
(May be the Host)
Advisors
Student Support
Local community
and business leaders,
planners, etc
eg University students
of architecture
or similar field
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Getting Started
Support bodies
Community Planning Events often benefit from being
supported by a national or regional organisation. Some
organisations, particularly in the United States, have
institutionalised their support into recognisable
programmes.
National facilitator
Charles Zucker, employed for
many years by the American
Institute of Architects to help
communities organise
Community Planning Events
“In many ways, the process
has transformed the way
that Americans shape
community development
policies and take those
actions that most directly
affect their community’s
growth or change.”
PRINCIPLES
Support bodies can provide:
• Advice on the most suitable type of event based on
experience.
• Stimulation of interest by provision of briefing
material and speakers.
• Validation of the event which can be invaluable in
overcoming scepticism at local level.
• Assistance with practicalities such as Team selection
(by maintaining databases of talent) or Team briefing.
• Organisation of anything from an initial meeting to
an entire event.
American Institute of
Architects
TIPS
• Momentum ensuring that follow-up takes place.
• Support bodies are in a good position to promote
good practice by negotiating certain standards as
the price of their involvement. The standards will
vary from one organisation to another.
• Support bodies can play a vital role in developing
new approaches by proactively encouraging and
even organising pilot events and pilot programmes.
But make sure there are resources to document and
disseminate the results or it will be a wasted effort
See page 94 for details of some support bodies.
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Getting Started
Types of Support Body
Requirements
• Professional groups
Institutes of architecture, planning or
urban design for instance. Some have
a special unit for Community Planning
Events with a coordinator and
committee (called ‘Oversight
Committee’ in the USA)
Before getting involved in a local event,
most support agencies will want the
following information from the event’s
proposers:
• Universities and colleges
Some have a special unit. More likely
to be a sporadic activity of a
Department such as Architecture or
Planning
• Local government
Can be part of the work of a planning
or other department
• Regeneration agencies
As part of the work of a development
trust or other special agency
Nature of the proposers
Brief description of community
Statement of current problems and
background
Objectives of proposed event
Budget estimates
Statement of commitment from local
sponsors
Letters of support for the concept from
various sections of the community
Statement of commitment from the
promoters to follow up the event
Any helpful photos or other illustrative
material
.......................................................…
.......................................................…
.......................................................…
• Consultancies
Support may be provided by private
consultants who have developed the
expertise in house
• Partnerships of agencies
A special unit may be established by a
group of organisations, particularly at
regional level
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Getting Started
Funding
“The process demonstrated
that urban planning and
design issues can be clarified
and defined in a very short
period of time and involve
extensive and direct
community participation.
With continuing fine-tuning
and staff resource support, it
is possible to move this
programme from its pilot
status and incorporate it
formally into the City’s
planning processes.”
Kenneth Topping
Director of Planning
Los Angeles
PRINCIPLES
Value for money
Tower block demolition.
Community Planning Events
may appear expensive at first
sight, but the cost of getting
the planning process wrong
can be astronomical
• Funding should come from as many sources as
possible. This encourages commitment to a
partnership approach from the start and avoids
charges of vested interest. If single source funding is
inevitable, the need for a validating body will be
greater.
TIPS
Community Planning Events can be designed for a
range of budgets. But insufficient funds for the type of
event you decide on can lead to a failure to generate
the critical mass of energy necessary for success.
Establishing realistic budgets and securing enough
money – or support in kind – is therefore very
important.
• Think twice before doing an event ‘on the cheap’. It
is most likely to lead to bitterness and recrimination.
It is better to have a shorter, well-funded event than
a longer, badly funded one. Always allocate funding
for follow-up.
• There are many opportunities for securing financial
sponsorship and support in kind, particularly if the
event is high-profile and enthusiastically supported
by the community.
• If you find it hard to get enough funding and
support, try holding a 1-day event first with a view
to generating interest in a longer one later.
• To avoid resentment and/or manipulation, be clear
and honest about what is being paid for and what is
not.
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Getting Started
Event Costs
Checklist for preparing rough budget estimates
Budget heading
Assumptions
£/$
Evaluation visit (travel, expenses)
Reconnaissance by Chairperson (travel, expenses)
Transport (Team members)
Accommodation (Team members and organisers)
Venues (rent and insurance)
Organisers/administration
Facilitators’ fees
Team members’ fees
Equipment hire and technical support
Publicity, advertising, stationery
Catering (Team meals plus snacks for all)
Car/van/bus rental
Secretarial (word processing)
Report printing
Follow-up (team revisit, publicity)
Sundries (supplies, telephone) and contingency
………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………
………………
………………
………………
………………
………………
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………………
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…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
Totals
…………
Funding Sources
Support-in-kind Ideas
Local and central government
Local and national businesses
Local and national charities and NGOs
Developers and landowners
Development agencies
Community groups
Arts funding bodies
Professional institutes
..........................................
..........................................
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
Hoteliers
Printers
Consultants
Property owners
Colleges
Businesses
Bus companies
Local press
Residents
................
Rooms
Printing
Admin
Premises
Students
Meals
Transport
Advertising
Lodgings
................
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Setting the stage
Banners help people to orientate themselves and provide a useful
backdrop for photographs
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Section 3
Preparation
Managing
Motivating people
Team selection
Student support
Information gathering
Publicity
Venues
Fittings and services
Equipment and supplies
Computers and information technology
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
38
40
44
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Preparation
Managing
“The impact of the R/UDAT
(Community Planning)
programme on the
(American) nation’s cities is
unequalled by any other
design activity over the past
decade. No consultant
organisation has worked so
closely with so many
communities. No
government agency has
dealt with such a rich variety
of issues. The breadth,
quantity and quality of
experienced talent in the
R/UDAT process exists in no
institution or in any
consultant organisation.”
Peter Batchelor
David Lewis
authors
24
P RI NC I PL ES
Fusing agendas
Cartoonist’s perspective on
an event in Germany
• Once a decision has been made to proceed,
responsibility for all preparation tasks should be
determined (see checklist opposite).
TIPS
Good management is essential. Events must run like
clockwork or energy will be dissipated and the results
will be poor. Whether an event is organised by paid
staff or by volunteers the principles are the same.
• Don’t set a date until you are sure you can meet it
but announce the date and venue as early as you
can so that it gets logged in people’s diaries.
• Clear guidelines about the nature of the event
should be produced so that everyone knows
where they stand.
• Fast-track events are possible but having a
comfortable lead time is useful to allow people to
prepare properly. Avoid holiday periods and major
local attractions. Best to be ‘the main show in town’.
• Be clear about the extent of participation and who
can be involved when. Don’t pretend there is an open
agenda if in fact decisions have already been made.
• Avoid being unduly influenced! You may be lobbied
from all sides by people promoting their own
interests. Make it clear that the event is open to all
and that the process is neutral, not ‘fixable’. Suggest
people make their case at the event.
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Preparation
Typical Tasks
4–6 months before
Establish Steering Group and Host
Decide nature of event
Approach support body and organiser
Secure funding
Secure support in principle locally
Decision to go ahead
Establish administration
Inform local grapevines
Establish project website
.......................................
Team Chairperson
Qualities
Experience of previous Community Planning
Events, preferably as Team member
Leadership qualities
Sensitivity and ability to draw people out
Understanding of urban design processes
Ability to orchestrate action
Toughness (may have to ask someone to
leave the Team or deal with troublemakers)
.......................................
.......................................
.......................................
2–3 months before
Select Team Chairperson
Start information gathering
Secure venue
Fix dates of event
Prepare timetable
Invite Team members (letter)
Contact speakers (letter)
Book accommodation
.......................................
1 month before
Make reconnaissance visit
Start publicity
Send out invitations
Make staff arrangements
Hire and assemble equipment
Organise crèche
Arrange refreshments
.......................................
Reconnaissance Visit
One month before the event, the Chairperson
should check the following:
Budget
Venues
Publicity
Printing schedules
Computer and photo arrangements
Information gathering progress
Briefing pack
Report format
Equipment
.......................................
.......................................
.......................................
2 weeks before
Place advertisements in press
Assemble stationery & equipment
Make banners
Check insurance
Check transport arrangements
Send out briefing packs
.......................................
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
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Preparation
Motivating people
PRINCIPLES
Community Planning Events are likely to be most
successful if there is widespread support and
involvement from the outset. Often this will require
imaginative promotion because it is still an unusual
approach which people may not be used to.
Streetlamp banner
Something interesting is
happening ....
Tom Bradley
Mayor of Los Angeles
26
• Local groups should be encouraged to get their own
members involved but should not be relied on to do
so. The organisers must ensure that everyone –
including the ‘hard to reach’ – has the opportunity
to be involved.
• The event should be promoted as an exciting and
enjoyable opportunity, not a duty. People should
take part because they want to not because they
feel they ought.
TIPS
“This process allows the
members of the community
to take a proactive role in
the development of their
community instead of the
reactionary role usually
associated with public
hearings and the like.
Events like this are our
chance to bring the
community, the developers
and the city, county and the
state agencies also the
elected officials together to
formulate a shared vision
for an area.”
• All sections of the community should be involved,
particularly the key decision-makers (eg councillors,
council officers, developers).
• Be prepared for some hostility from people who
resent you treading on what they see as their patch.
Overcome it by using past examples, talking through
the process and being open to their involvement;
these people can often become your main supporters.
• Get out in the community. Meetings or workshops
at an early stage with specific groups can be useful
for informing people about the process and
identifying issues. Keep them as informal and
open-ended as possible. Consider also a newsletter,
website, site office, advertising hoarding and any
special communication methods appropriate to the
specific community.
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• Invite key interest groups and individuals by letter.
Also make as much personal contact as possible.
• An up-to-date database of contacts is essential.
• Style is important. Develop a lively, straightforward,
friendly design style and encourage a casual yet
professional approach from the outset.
• Don’t be afraid to state clearly that the most
effective motivation for involvement is enlightened
self-interest.
• See also Publicity, page 34.
Groups to Involve
Chambers of commerce
Churches
Community and voluntary organisations
Developers and real-estate professionals
Environmental and civic groups and societies
Ethnic and cultural groups
Friends and neighbours
Investors
Landowners
Local business people
Local councils, politicians and administrators
Local disability organisations
Media (local and regional)
Planners and planning committees
Regional agencies and key staff
Schools, colleges and universities
Social and emergency services
Special purpose authorities such as housing and
transport
Youth and senior citizens groups
...................................................................
See also ‘Who to Involve’ checklist in the Toolbox on
www.communityplanning.net
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
Inviting involvement
Advertising hoarding and
publicity leaflets
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Team selection
“A heartfelt thank you to
the government and
councillors of Birmingham
for inviting me to their city
and so gracefully putting up
with my comments. To ask
people to come to see you
and then allow them,
encourage them even, to
be frank in criticism as well
as in praise is a sign of
creative spirit.”
• Team size should reflect the scale and scope of the
event. Usually 8–12 members works well.
• Team members should have a range of skills,
interests and cultural backgrounds, tailored to the
needs of the particular community and issues likely
to be raised, preferably combined with facilitation
and mediation skills.
• Team members should be free of any real or
perceived conflicts of interest in the area, or if they
have any interests these should be clearly stated.
• Team members should commit themselves to
attending the entire event. (People unable to stay
for the whole period should be Advisors instead.)
• Enlist the best professional expertise available within
your area of influence.
TIPS
Team arrival
Event Team arriving by plane.
The image of professionals
‘flying in’ to sort out
problems is often criticised
but bringing experience
from other places can
sometimes be valuable in
stimulating fresh thinking.
Having local Team members
with long experience of the
area can also work well,
perhaps with an independent
facilitator
PRINCIPLES
Selecting the event ‘Team’ is one of the first tasks of
the Team Chairperson and will shape the flavour of the
entire event.
• Select people for what they know rather than who
they are, and for their ability to analyse complex
issues as part of a team. It is useful to have some
people who have been Team members before.
• Give all Team members specific roles (see table
right).
• Avoid people who are too similar. A balance of sexes
and a range of ages is essential.
Team member
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Preparation
Team Roles and Responsibilities
Note: Several compatible roles may be taken by one individual
Title
Brief
Team chairperson
Provide leadership, orchestrate event,
take responsibility
Team facilitator
Keep roving eye on group dynamics,
reporting back to Team Chairperson
...................
Team coordinator
Logistics and overall organisation
...................
Workshop facilitators
Facilitate workshops
...................
Workshop note-takers
Prepare notes of workshops in format
suitable for final report
...................
Commission and gather copy and
illustrations. Prepare printer-ready layouts
...................
Report subeditor
Subedit copy and assist editor
...................
Report production
Oversee report production using desktop
publishing software. Liaise with printer
...................
Sound recorder
Record key sessions and index recordings
...................
Diplomats
Liaise between different workshops
to create linkages
...................
Ensure key events are photographed
and images downloaded onto computer
...................
Keep names and telephone numbers of
useful resource people
...................
Presentation editor
Compile presentation (usually in Powerpoint)
...................
Stage manager
Coordinate pool of people for errands, etc
...................
Follow-up coordinator
Ensure follow-up takes place and publicise
...................
Report editor
Photographer
Contacts person
Names
...................
Skills Required
Team members should be good at analysing complex problems, be in good health, and be
good at working with people. In addition each person should have skills in at least one,
and preferably more than one, of the following:
Urban design
Property development
Sociology
Architecture
Planning
Economics and finance
Management
Journalism
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
Landscape design
Law
Community development
Ecology
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Preparation
Student support
“It was like being back at
college but I realised that
there were 500 years of
professional experience
around the table. I came to
the event as a cynic but left
exhilarated. I have not had
so much fun as a
professional for some time.
It recharged my batteries.
When you hit the inevitable
mid-life crisis in any project,
having one of these events
is a good way to give it a
kick up the backside.”
Mike Galloway
Regeneration Project
Director
30
• Taking part in a Community Planning Event can be a
rich learning experience in organisation, planning,
architecture, participatory processes, research and
presentation.
• Students can provide a creative and energetic labour
force and will pass on process knowledge to others.
Students of architecture, planning and urban design
are generally most likely to benefit and be useful.
• Within an initial time framework set by their tutors,
students should be directed by the Team Chair or
other delegated Team member. Tutor interference
during the event can cause serious difficulties.
TIPS
Help with logistics
Sorting workshop materials
at a Community Planning
Event
PRINCIPLES
To provide back-up for the event Team it is useful to
have technical support before and during the event.
Although volunteers or paid staff can provide this, it is
often better to involve local students of architecture or
related disciplines.
• Three or four students is enough to make a
coherent workforce without dominating the event.
• Choose students who are energetic, keen, flexible,
sociable, diplomatic and can take initiative.
Wherever possible provide clear roles and briefs.
Treat students as equal members of the creative
effort, not dogsbodies.
• Encourage students to make a presentation of their
experience afterwards.
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Preparation
Student Support Tasks
Before the event:
Gather background material
Generate publicity
Get to know the site and local people
Read this manual and other material
Prepare exhibition and briefing for
Team members
Prepare base models and plans
..................................................
..................................................
During the event:
Maintain a library of information
Service workshops
Act as personal assistants to the
Chairperson
Take and collate photographs
Participate in all activities as much as
possible
..................................................
..................................................
Modelmaking
University students preparing a 3-metre-square
model for a Community Planning Event. This became
the focus for open-ended discussions with local
people; problems and solutions being recorded on
cards pinned to the model with cocktail sticks.
A consensus view was thus established from which
the design team could work
After the event:
Collate and store information for
future use
Monitor effectiveness of the event
..................................................
..................................................
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Preparation
Information gathering
“The whole process was
extremely creative. It
brought a lot of people
together.”
Ted Watts
Past President
Royal Institute of
Chartered Surveyors
PRINCIPLES
Briefing pack
Participants should get one
before they arrive at an
event so that there is time
to digest it. Packs handed
out on the day rarely get
looked at
• Selecting and presenting information is a central
element of the Community Planning Event process
and should be directed by the Team Chairperson.
TIPS
It is important to provide enough information for
participants both before and during an event,
otherwise the event will be spent gathering
information rather than thinking out the way forward.
• Use information that already exists where possible.
Get key stakeholders to prepare presentations as this
promotes active involvement.
• A briefing pack should normally be sent out to the
Team members (or all participants if by invitation
only) two weeks beforehand. Other material can be
placed on a website or made available at the event.
• Start thinking about what will be needed for the
final presentation and report right from the start.
Collect data in the appropriate formats.
• Be selective. Too much information can overwhelm
people and inhibit imaginative thinking.
• Set up a resource library and keep an index of useful
material. Identify resource people to collect
information on specific issues; eg jobs, history.
• Think visual. Good photos, drawings, maps and
graphs are more useful than wordy reports.
• Tie important documents to table tops with string to
avoid people mistaking them for handouts.
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Preparation
Basic Information
Required
Not everything will be relevant on all
occasions. Select what is and add
anything else you think might be useful.
Maps, tables, reports, videos showing:
Aerial photographs
Blank base maps at various scales
Concerns, constraints and
opportunities lists
Development plans and proposals,
zoning and previous studies
Employment patterns
Historical data: archaeological,
protected buildings, area development
Information sources
Land ownership, land availability and
land valuation (including impact of
over/under-supply in the future)
Land use, transport and building
condition
Newspaper cuttings
Planning context
Political, administrative and cultural
boundaries
Political context
Population statistics and projections
Profiles of local organisations
Social profiles
Tax information
Topography and ecology
Tourist and area promotion
information
………………………………………
………………………………………
………………………………………
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
Sample Briefing
Pack Letter
Dear
Anytown Community Planning Event
Many thanks for agreeing to take part in this
event as: [insert role, ie Team member, Advisor,
Admin staff, student support].
A briefing pack is enclosed containing the
following information for you to look at before
you arrive:
•
•
•
•
•
Mission statement
Team list with roles and responsibilities
Biographical notes on Team members
Timetable
Background material: (some of material
listed in the Basic Information Required box
left)
• List of what else will be available during the
event
• The Community Planning Event Manual
Further background can be found on the
following websites: [add URLs].
Accommodation and travel arrangements are
as follows: [insert details with contact telephone
numbers].
Payment and expenses arrangements are as
follows: [insert details with any special
restrictions on future commissions etc].
Please remember to bring your camera and any
relevant photos or other material for the
exhibition and presentation. Mark these clearly
with your name if you want them returned.
Bring digital files on a USB stick or CD in the
following formats: [add details].
I would be grateful if you would confirm in
writing that the above arrangements are
satisfactory and look forward to seeing you at
[place] on [date].
Yours sincerely
Team Chairperson
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Preparation
Publicity
“The public is eager for
participation, elected
councils are searching for
new direction. Are
Community Planning Events
the missing ingredient?”
John Worthington
President
Urban Design Group
PRINCIPLES
Media involvement
Community Planning Events
can make stimulating
television
• Publicity is needed:
Before – to generate excitement and ensure
participation;
During – to maintain momentum and disseminate
the results;
After – to track progress and stimulate action.
TIPS
Publicity is an essential aspect of a Community
Planning Event in order to generate a public debate.
• Time the event to coincide with a political opportunity
or community event to provide added media attraction
(but avoid major distractions, eg World Cup).
• The local media should be involved as participants in
the process as well as observers. It is a rare
opportunity for the media to play a part in
generating community solutions rather than simply
reporting problems.
• Put one person in charge of media liaison as part of
a general information headquarters.
• Maintain a comprehensive press kit explaining the
issues and process. This can be the briefing pack
(see page 33) with the addition of press releases on
special newsworthy issues.
• Try and get a special pull-out supplement in an
established local newspaper. In addition produce a
broadsheet including the programme.
• Hold a press conference prior to the event and show
presentations of previous events. Invite the media to
take part throughout but particularly for tours,
briefings and presentations.
34
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• T-shirts, badges and banners can all be useful.
• Encourage local organisations to help with publicity
by, for instance, writing letters to the local paper or
leafleting in lively public places.
Creating a public debate
Publicising the future of
people’s environment is an
essential part of Community
Planning Events
• Maintain a clippings file of press coverage.
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
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Preparation
Venues
PRINCIPLES
Premises which provide a stimulating atmosphere are
essential. Four main types of space are required:
• Large hall for public meetings, presentations and
exhibitions with toilets and refreshment facilities.
• Medium-sized rooms for workshops, group
meetings and a crèche.
• Studio workspace for the Team and organisers
with lockable administration room, kitchen and
toilets. 24-hour access essential.
• Living accommodation for Team members and
organisers (for longer events).
Ideally these should be next to one another and within,
or close by, the area being studied to make it easier for
people to keep focussed on the task in hand.
“Community Planning
Events can change the way
we plan because you focus
on the area, you are in the
area when you focus on it
and you involve the people
with a particular interest in
seeing the area come to
life. Normally you would be
in an office framework,
divorced from the site, and
not in contact with the
community that will be
living in the environment
that you create.”
Charmaine Young
Housing Developer
36
TIPS
On location
Marquees can be used for
workshop sessions and
exhibitions where no large
halls are available on site
• Prominent venues on ‘neutral ground’ work best.
Vacant shopfronts and schools can be ideal. Check
venues are available for the whole period.
• It helps if all Team members and other key
participants stay in the same place, preferably a
good hotel with individual rooms (as people may
need to sleep at different times). Late night bar and
breakfast discussions can be very productive.
Accommodation within easy walking distance will
avoid endless logistic problems.
• Quiet outdoor space can be useful for workshops in
warm weather.
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Preparation
Making do
Six workshops in a fairly
confined space is
tolerable because the
room is carpeted which
muffles the sound
Good Room Arrangement
Flexible space
Six workshops taking place simultaneously in a
large hall. The same space was used for public
meetings, presentations and Team working
Room layout one might aim at if specifying in the
abstract. In practice one has to improvise with
spaces available.
screens
crêche
workshop
editing
workshop
large hall
kitchen
wc
studio
administration
workshop
exhibition
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
reception
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Preparation
Fittings and services
“The community planning
weekends were brilliant.
People could really get to
talk to somebody and get a
straight answer. There was
a nice atmosphere.”
Joan Maginn
Residents’ Association
Chair
38
P RI NC I PL E S
Room services
Conference room set up for
workshops (above); using
the built-in facilities of a
local authority council
chamber (below)
• All work and domestic needs of the participants
should be met for the duration of the event. People
should be able to arrive empty-handed and operate
as efficiently, if not more so, than if they were in
their own workplaces.
TIPS
The venues need to be properly equipped and serviced
if the event is to function smoothly.
• Self-service catering with a constant supply of hot
drinks and nibbles works well, so that people do not
feel bound by fixed breaks. Dinner can usefully be
more formal to provide a change of pace.
• Venues should be set up well before the public arrives
and Team members will normally help with this.
• Rapid photocopier and computer repair service is
essential. If in doubt have spare machines.
• Make sure heating systems can be made to remain
on overnight.
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Preparation
Fittings
Services
Checklist for large-scale 5-day event with
a Team of 12. Adjust for smaller events.
Checklist for large-scale event. Adjust
accordingly.
Studio Workspace
Chairs (office) and stools
Computers (see page 43)
Desks for writing (4), computers (10)
and drawing (3)
Drawing boards or drawing tables (8)
Drinks facility and fridge
Lighting, including desk lighting
Lock-up for valuable equipment
Pin board or pin-up wall
Photocopier (see page 43)
Plan and drawing storage system
Power outlets
Shelving and filing space
Table (conference) with seats for 16
Telephones and fax
Waste bins and garbage bags
…………………………………………
Large Hall
Blackout curtains
Chairs – movable
Disability access
Exhibition facilities
Flipchart (with non-squeaky pens)
Induction loop
Lighting (friendly)
Lock-up area for valuables
Projection screens (2 large)
Public address system with microphones
on stands and roving
Tables for breakout work
…………………………………………
Caretaking/reception to provide
security for equipment: 24-hour
Catering: breakfast at hotel, buffet
lunches, set dinners in a variety of
venues, constant supply of hot and
cold drinks, fruit and nibbles
Computer support (rapid, 24-hour
cover on final night)
Internet access
Photocopier repair service: rapid,
24-hour cover
Printers: briefed well in advance of
scope of work and importance of
deadlines
Telephone lines: two minimum
Transport: bikes, minibuses or coaches
for Team tours and travel to evening
dinner venues
…………………………………………
…………………………………………
…………………………………………
Back room services
Space and services for the organisers nearby
Medium-sized rooms
Chairs – movable
Flipcharts
Pin board and pin-up space
Table
…………………………………………
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Preparation
Equipment
and supplies
Team
Members’
Luggage
“A successful event has to
be as carefully stage
managed as a theatre
production – but one in
which the audience and
actors keep reversing roles.”
PRINCIPLES
• Support bodies may well have much of the
equipment. Otherwise it will have to be borrowed,
hired or bought.
TIPS
Smartish clothes for
the start and finish
Casual clothes for the
working sessions
Camera
Useful general facts
and figures or
illustrative material
likely to be relevant
Material for special
presentation if
required
Any special favourite
drawing pens
……………………
……………………
……………………
A substantial amount of equipment is required to run a
Community Planning Event successfully.
• Discourage mobile phones in the working sessions
but they can be useful for dealing with press
enquiries, suppliers and emergencies.
• Equipment and supplies should be organised well in
advance (see checklist on next spread).
• It is better to over-provide than run out.
Arrangements should allow for returning or reusing
any surpluses.
• Agree and standardise computer software. Prepare
standard layout formats beforehand.
• Banners for the entrance, the main hall and
workshops can usefully be prepared in advance.
Debbie Radcliffe
Actress and Team member
40
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Preparation
Stationery
Supplies laid out at the start of a workshop.
Never risk running out. Surpluses can
always be made use of later if you can stop
people walking off with it
Pretty colours
Using Post-it notes in several colours.
Visually it looks more interesting and
different colours can be used to denote
different categories or priorities
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
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Preparation
Equipment and
Supplies
Checklist for large-scale event. Adjust
accordingly.
A ESSENTIAL ITEMS
for most events
Aerial photographs
Banners and directional signs with
fixings
Base maps and plans of the area at
different scales (1:200 and 1:400 most
commonly used)
Blu-tak
Camera: 35mm or digital with
wide-angle, telephoto, flash and
close-up facility
Camera: Polaroid (for last-minute
shots)
Camera accessories (for digital):
memory cards, battery charger, spare
battery, connection cable, card reader,
download cable
Clipboards
Crayons for children to draw with
Data projector and screen
Extension cables
Flipcharts (with non-squeaky pens)
Layout pads (grid marked with
non-repro blue ink)
Mobile phones, including rechargers
Name badges (and/or blank sticky
labels)
Paper: tracing paper rolls; A5 note
pads; flipchart pads; A4 plain
Pens: felt-tips in bright colours and
grey tones (different sizes); fibre-tipped
with medium and fine tips (black and
red); ball points (black and red);
42
technical drawing (1 set); highlighters
(in different colours); marker pens (in
different colours)
Pins (different colours): drawing pins;
safety pins; stickpins
Pointer stick/laser pointer
for presentations
Post-its (different sizes and at least 4
colours)
Pritt-stick glue
Rubber bands
Rubbish bags
Rulers and scale rulers
Scissors
Signing-in sheets
Spray mount adhesive
Tape: brown packaging tape;
double sided; heavy duty (for outdoor
use)/gaffer; magic; masking;
clear rolls (sellotape)
USB stick
Velcro pads (sticky hook and loop
pads)
Zip-up bags (for Hands-on Planning
kits)
…………………………........................
…………………………........................
B POSSIBLY USEFUL ITEMS
especially for lengthy events
Base model with movable parts
Box files
Cardboard or polystyrene (for model
making)
Clock with alarm (for timing speakers)
Cocktail sticks (for use with model)
Coloured sticky dots (red, green, yellow)
Crayons and paper for children
Cutting knives, mats, metal edge and
spare blades
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
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Preparation
Exhibition facilities
Overhead or opaque projectors with
transparency film and markers (handy
for sketching and for presentations)
Paper clips
Pin board or pin-up wall
Public address system with
microphones on stands and roving,
plus induction loop
Scalpels and blades
Video camera and accessories
Video playback equipment
…………………………........................
…………………………........................
C TEAM WORKING ITEMS
where full office capacity is required
Blackout curtains
Catering gear (cups, plates, cutlery,
napkins, urn, kettle, etc)
Cleaning fluid
Chairs (stackable?) and stools
Fridge and/or cold drinks facility
Flipcharts (with non-squeaky pens)
Food and drink
Lock-up for valuable equipment
Photocopier with enlarging/reducing
facility (with rapid repair service)
Projector stand
Sanitary equipment if venue on
abandoned site, including laminated
toilet signs
Lighting / spotlighting to improve
poorly lit room
Tables / desks (for Hands-on Planning)
Waste bins and rubbish bags
…………………………........................
…………………………........................
Calculator
Computer equipment:
Colour printer and toner
Laptops
Mobile server, hub and connections
Scanner
Screen wipes
Software: word processing; desktop
publishing (DTP); computer aided
design (CAD); Photoshop. Other as
specified by Team members
CDs, PC and Mac compatible
Correction fluid
Fax machine
Pads (24”x 30”)
Erasers
Hole puncher
Layout pads (grid marked with nonrepro blue ink)
Paper:
A4, A3 & A2 sketch pads
A4 writing pads (lined)
Paperclips
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
Paper trimmer or guillotine
Pencils: normal; coloured
Photocopier paper, toner etc
Ring binders (A4 and A3 with plastic
pockets to protect drawings)
Stapler and staple extractors
T-squares, triangles and circle
templates
…………………………........................
…………………………........................
D VENUE ITEMS
if not provided (see also Fittings and
services page 38)
See also ‘Equipment and supplies’
checklist in the Toolbox on
www.communityplanning.net
43
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Preparation
Computers and
information technology
Useful
software
PRINCIPLES
Making the most of recent advances in information
technology can make Community Planning Events
much easier to organise and more effective.
Checklist for large scale
event. Adjust accordingly.
“Nothing is random.
Logistics and computer
organisation are essential.
Everything is organised to
satisfy people’s material
needs. Only their thinking
matters.”
Eléonore Hauptmann
Urban planner, France
Chairman, DIALOG
44
• Use of digital cameras, desktop publishing (DTP)
software and Powerpoint presentations makes it
easy to communicate visually – essential for planning
and design issues – and to keep records.
• Use of editing facilities in word processing and DTP
software, combined with email, enables participatory
editing of documents by stakeholders with relative
ease.
• Portable hardware can be used to establish a fully
functioning design and editing office in any location.
TIPS
Microsoft Office
(Word, Powerpoint
and Excel)
DTP (desktop
publishing)
CAD (computer
aided design)
Adobe Acrobat
Professional for
editing and
participatory editing
of pdf documents.
……………………
……………………
• Establishing a project website or having space on an
existing site is a highly cost-effective way of making
project information available before an event and
making the results available afterwards (but should
not be relied on exclusively).
• Powerpoint presentations can be left with clients
afterwards, enabling them to present to others.
• Use event reports as a way of packaging all useful
information about a project for future reference.
• Identify technicians familiar with all hardware and
software who can be available at short notice during
an event to resolve any problems.
• Make sure all computer equipment is compatible.
• Establish templates for documents beforehand.
THE COMMUNITY PLANNING EVENT MANUAL
CPEM 080804:Layout 1
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Preparation
Fully functioning editing and design office
Widespread availability of laptops makes it possible for Team members to be as productive as if in their
own offices
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