Personal memories and experiences shape the way we see and feel about our surroundings—from the style of the street lamps and signs, to our feelings of safety and security. While one person recalls a lively shopping district that is now a vacant lot, another sees space for local kids to skateboard and play. The way we view our neighborhoods and communities can be almost as unique as our individual personalities.
Few of us, however, have an opportunity to share what we know and feel about our local environment with the decision makers shaping its future. When it comes to planning for the future, this kind of information is rarely sought out, and communities are left living with changes created without their input.
It is just these personal stories and experiences that the Center for Community Design Research (CCDR) brings to the forefront of neighborhood and town planning. A non-profit outreach organization based out of the Department of Landscape Architecture at the State University of New York, the CCDR provides communities with technical design and planning assistance. They do this by tapping into the valuable contributions that community members bring to the planning process. It is their belief that public participation is essential to determining the way that our streets, parks, roadways, and neighborhoods will take shape in the future. They’ve turned this commitment into a model for what is called community based design and planning.
With a mission “to educate students, leaders, and citizens about the potential of their communities to improve and plan,” they begin with a goal of getting the broadest public participation possible. This means getting the word out in many different ways and holding meetings where and when it’s convenient for residents to attend. Simple enough perhaps, but often overlooked.
Getting the public there is only one step; getting them talking is another. The CCDR has developed creative strategies to facilitate communication and translate the results into a format that can be directly used in physical land planning. Their methods have been instrumental to achieving success. “It’s about communication at many levels,” explains Cheryl Doble, Director, and founder of the CCDR. “It starts with creating a situation for talking to happen amongst community members in which they can ask questions and get answers in a comfortable atmosphere—what we call a workshop methodology in which residents share what they know.”
I had the opportunity to participate in one of the workshops and the experience was truly inspiring. This was no top-down public meeting run by officials, but had residents, local officials, and architects sitting side by side. Quickly, it was obvious that people love sharing what they know about their neighborhood as long as they are made to feel valued and comfortable.
Students working with the CCDR facilitate the meeting. They begin with brainstorming sessions asking general questions about what people like and don’t like about their neighborhood, activities that take place in their neighborhood, local history, and traditions. They make lists and share stories. “We are not asking for something unknown,” explains Maren King, Assistant Director. “Everyone learns from one another and it can be surprising to find out things about your neighborhood or town that you didn’t know.”
While the process can get people talking, the challenge is to get at the physical aspects of what is shared by community members. This is where Cheryl’s background as an art teacher and studio instructor has been instrumental. “Unlike professional architects and planners, most of us don’t talk directly about spatial issues,” she explains. This is what the CCDR refers to as the visioning process—“attaching locations and places to the information that’s shared.”
In the workshop I attended, residents were there to discuss front yard and street improvements. They were asked to identify examples of what they hoped to achieve by marking their locations on large maps visible to the group. “Patterns begin to emerge and connections are made visible before everyone’s eyes,” says Cheryl. This can have tremendous impact. In working on a project to design a Healing Garden for a neighborhood in Syracuse where two teens had been murdered, it was discovered in meeting with residents that violence was affecting the whole community. More than a memorial, the residents identified the need and location for a safe and cared-for community gathering space.
The process can be eye-opening for designers as well. “You are reminded that you are designing for people. The process humanizes the design which can often be lost in professional practice where the focus is on the “I” and not on those who actually live in the community,” says Maren. “We get at the kind of the information that doesn’t appear on surveys and maps but comes from talking. We believe that the results are better because they are generated by the local citizens.”
According to Cheryl and Maren, the real value of their work lies in the educational component for all parties involved. “Sustainability is at the core of our efforts,” they note. As an academic program, their goal is to educate future designers so that they are trained in working with community as professionals. For state agencies, community leaders, and town planners, too, their hope is that the relationships that are built out of working together continue into the future.
The CCDR is one of many organizations working to bring community directly into the planning process. In Philadelphia where I live, I’ve discovered an organization called the CDC, the Community Design Collaborative. The CDC brings pro bono design services to communities looking for assistance through a volunteer network of professional designers and planners. The Association for Community Design is a great resource for locating community-minded professionals and organizations in your city or state.
With this in mind, go out and share your stories with your community members!
