The methodology calls for authentic participation and a willingness to engage stakeholders in a "collaborative and empathic" placemaking process.

Steven Bingler, founder and president of planning and design practice Concordia, outlines his organization's principles for what he calls Community CoDesign, a set of values aimed at developing a "collaborative and empathic approach to placemaking to address the growing complexities of climate change, public health, endemic poverty, social inequities and other challenges of the 21st century."
"In the design arts, one significant example of community codesign emerged during the Great Depression through the WPA’s Federal Art Project, when teams of planners, designers, artists, and artisans came together to craft a whole-community art form, expressed through the design of public spaces, architecture, sculpture, murals, set design, theatrical performance, music, and dance. Multidisciplinary collaborations became a tool for rallying pride, creating employment, illuminating common necessities, arousing an awareness of the suffering of people, and drawing attention to the need for the conservation of natural resources."
The Depression-era programs had a profound impact on American design well after they ended, with many of the projects enduring as popular attractions and points of civic pride today. Bingler claims that a similar approach can help planners and designers create more inclusive design processes to address today's urgent issues, including climate change and sea level rise. As a New Orleans-based firm, Concordia and its staff have first-hand experience with the devastating effects of coastal flooding and displacement. Concordia's methodology, Bingler writes, is grounded in six core values: honest engagement, authentic stakeholder participation, drawing from local talent and leadership, an "all-one" strategy, willingness to let go when the need arises, and commitment to the common good.
The challenges of urbanization and climate change, he argues, can only be faced through a shared vision. "The fate of future generations will be determined by the swift, smart and compassionate actions of today’s planning and design professionals, working hand and heart with the public they are here to serve."
FULL STORY: The Principles of Community CoDesign

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service