designing public consensus

While being interviewed recently about public participation in urban planning, I was asked why this topic has suddenly become such a big deal. I had to stop and think.

Short answer: It’s the Internet. The Internet now plays a big role in what people know and how they know it. If you can go to the Internet and find out about virtually anything anywhere, then of course people are going to be more educated and informed on pretty much any subject—including issues that affect their community. The Internet also offers a handy way to spread the word, connect with the likeminded, rant, and build consensus.

An upside: we are now working with much more informed groups of constituents. People can survey the information before they attend a meeting. They know the issues and what to expect.

A downside is the vast array of misinformation that’s out there. Anyone with a website can pose as an expert. And while rumors have always been a problem, they can now travel at the speed of light.

The Internet is full of upsides and downsides for planners who are dedicated to engaging the public. As discussed in my book, Designing Public Consensus:

The Internet offers new opportunities to collect and store information, provide easy access 24/7, and draw in more diverse participation…But the Internet cannot solve all our problems of reaching out to the public; and it continually creates new demands for transparency, speed, and visual sophistication…Expectations are high, and younger generations will put even greater demands on our ability to convey information dynamically. Fortunately, new technologies…will help to meet these expectations and enable us to better communicate with the public overall. But we, the designers and planners of the future, will have to move faster and work smarter in order to keep up.

An earlier post describes the public debate about building metrorail over or under Tysons Corner, a classic “edge city” in Northern Virginia (second only to NYC in office and retail space on the East Coast). Video clips of a recent rally have shown up on YouTube and a young blogger, clued in to the controversy by a PR executive who attends his church, has been following the progress of the debate, as reported in the Washington Post. Of course, there’s also a dedicated website for tunnel supporters, with one-click access to petitions, supporters, and handy forms for contacting the Governor and Secretary of Transportation.

The 2010 Imperative Global Emergency Teach-In addressing global warming and climate change is an interactive web-cast broadcast live from New York, reaching more than 500,000 students, faculty, deans and practicing professionals in the architecture, planning and design communities in both North and South America. Hosted by the American Academy of Sciences on February 20.

A taste of things to come: New York Governor Eliot Spitzer signed an executive order on January 1 requiring ALL PUBLIC MEETINGS to be webcast.

The citizens of New York must be “fully aware of and able to observe the performances of public officials and attend and listen to the deliberations and decisions that go into the making of public policy,” the order states.

Highlighting how important it is for the public to participate in the making of public policy, Gov. Spitzer is ahead of the curve in giving the public an up close and personal look at the issues, deliberations and actions of public officials. Look for more elected officials to do the same. Transparency is one of the biggest communications waves to hit the public discourse.