An article in CityLab says organizers and facilitators should avoid a few simple mistakes to help improve community meetings.
Steve Holt has had enough of community meetings that either betray or fail the democratic ideals of participation and collaboration—so much so that he's written an article listing nine of the most common ways community meetings fall short. The list includes, with more description in the article:
"Setting up the room—for failure"
"Pulling rank"
"Over-using jargon"
"Calling a fake meeting"
The result of the list is a call to action for everyone involved to take responsibility for their actions—including organizers and facilitators.
FULL STORY: 9 Annoying Things That Ruin Community Meetings, According to Absolutely Everyone
Getting Started on Inclusive Planning
A toolbox for local governments to address inequality.
Community Engagement Highlights from APA 2016
As I do every year at the APA National Conference, I did my best to catch as many community engagement sessions as possible. Here are highlights, takeaways, and the common threads I noticed this year.
Strengthening the Bond between People and Placemaking
A research team at MIT Urban Studies and Planning, led by Susan Silberberg, released a paper examining “the interactions between placemaking, community participation, and the expanding ways communities are collaborating to make great public places.”
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
Congestion Pricing Drops Holland Tunnel Delays by 65 Percent
New York City’s contentious tolling program has yielded improved traffic and roughly $100 million in revenue for the MTA.
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
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Planning for Universal Design
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