Section 3
Preparation
Computers and information technology
Managing
Fusing agendas
Cartoonist’s perspective on an event in Germany
“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
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.
PRINCIPLES
• Once a decision has been made to proceed, responsibility for all preparation tasks should be determined (see checklist opposite).
• Clear guidelines about the nature of the event should be produced so that everyone knows where they stand.
TIPS
• 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.
• 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.
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
□ ....................................…
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
□ Organise crèche
□ Arrange refreshments
□ ....................................…
2 weeks before
□ Place advertisements in press
□ Assemble stationery & equipment
□ Make banners
□ Check insurance
□ Check transport arrangements
□ Send out briefing packs
□ ....................................…
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)
□ ....................................…
□ ....................................…
□ ....................................…
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
□ ....................................…
□ ....................................…
□ ....................................…
Motivating people
Streetlamp banner
Something interesting is happening….
“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.”
Tom Bradley Mayor of Los Angeles
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.
PRINCIPLES
• All sections of the community should be involved, particularly the key decision-makers (eg councillors, council officers, developers).
• 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
• 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.
• 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
Inviting involvement
Advertising hoarding and publicity leaflets
Team selection
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
“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 member
Selecting the event ‘Team’ is one of the first tasks of the Team Chairperson and will shape the flavour of the entire event.
PRINCIPLES
• 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
• 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 Roles and Responsibilities
Note: Several compatible roles may be taken by one individual
| Title | Brief | Names |
| 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 | ......… |
| Report editor | 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 | ......… |
| Photographer | Ensure key events are photographed and images downloaded onto computer | ......… |
| Contacts person | 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 | ......… |
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
□ Landscape design
□ Law
□ Community development
□ Ecology
Student support
Help with logistics
Sorting workshop materials at a Community Planning Event
“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
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.
PRINCIPLES
• 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
• 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.
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
□ ................................................
□ ................................................
After the event:
□ Collate and store information for future use
□ Monitor effectiveness of the event
□ ................................................
□ ................................................
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
Information gathering
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
“The whole process was extremely creative. It brought a lot of people together.”
Ted Watts Past President Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors
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.
PRINCIPLES
• Selecting and presenting information is a central element of the Community Planning Event process and should be directed by the Team Chairperson.
• 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.
TIPS
• Use information that already exists where possible. Get key stakeholders to prepare presentations as this promotes active involvement.
• 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.
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
□ ..........................................…
□ ..........................................…
□ ..........................................…
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
Publicity
Media involvement
Community Planning Events can make stimulating television
“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
Publicity is an essential aspect of a Community
Planning Event in order to generate a public debate.
PRINCIPLES
• 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.
• 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.
TIPS
• Time the event to coincide with a political opportunity or community event to provide added media attraction (but avoid major distractions, eg World Cup).
• 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.
• 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.
• Maintain a clippings file of press coverage.
Creating a public debate
Publicising the future of people’s environment is an essential part of Community Planning Events
Venues
On location
Marquees can be used for workshop sessions and exhibitions where no large halls are available on site
“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
Premises which provide a stimulating atmosphere are essential. Four main types of space are required:
PRINCIPLES
• 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.
TIPS
• 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.
Making do
Six workshops in a fairly confined space is tolerable because the room is carpeted which muffles the sound
Flexible space
Six workshops taking place simultaneously in a large hall. The same space was used for public meetings, presentations and Team working
Good Room Arrangement
Room layout one might aim at if specifying in the abstract. In practice one has to improvise with spaces available.
Fittings and services
Room services
Conference room set up for workshops (above); using the built-in facilities of a local authority council chamber (below)
“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
The venues need to be properly equipped and serviced if the event is to function smoothly.
PRINCIPLES
• 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.
• Venues should be set up well before the public arrives and Team members will normally help with this.
TIPS
• 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.
• 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.
Fittings
Checklist for large-scale 5-day event with a Team of 12. Adjust for smaller events.
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
□ ................................................
Medium-sized rooms
□ Chairs – movable
□ Flipcharts
□ Pin board and pin-up space
□ Table
□ ................................................
Services
Checklist for large-scale event. Adjust accordingly.
□ 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
Equipment and supplies
Team Members’ Luggage
□ 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 successful event has to be as carefully stage managed as a theatre production – but one in which the audience and actors keep reversing roles.”
Debbie Radcliffe Actress and Team member
A substantial amount of equipment is required to run a Community Planning Event successfully.
PRINCIPLES
• Support bodies may well have much of the equipment. Otherwise it will have to be borrowed, hired or bought.
• 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.
TIPS
• Discourage mobile phones in the working sessions but they can be useful for dealing with press enquiries, suppliers and emergencies.
• 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.
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
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); 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
□ 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
□ 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″ × 30″)
□ Erasers
□ Hole puncher
□ Layout pads (grid marked with non-repro blue ink)
□ Paper: A4, A3 & A2 sketch pads A4 writing pads (lined)
□ Paperclips
□ 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)
□ 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
□ ......................................................
□ ......................................................
See also ‘Equipment and supplies’ checklist in the Toolbox on www.communityplanning.net
Computers and information technology
Useful software
Checklist for large scale event. Adjust accordingly.
□ Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint and Excel)
□ DTP (desktop publishing)
□ CAD (computer aided design)
□ Adobe Acrobat Professional for editing and participatory editing of pdf documents.
□ ........................
........................
“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
Making the most of recent advances in information technology can make Community Planning Events much easier to organise and more effective.
PRINCIPLES
• 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).
• 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
• 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.
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
Participatory editing
Screen shot of proposed changes to a draft report using Acrobat software which allows comments on graphics as well as text
People’s Vision
A local resident presents her ideas for the future of her community at a Community Planning Event
