Designing Public Consensus–The Blog
Rather than a scripted reading, managing a public process is more a continuous improvisation. And like any performer who has met with a tough crowd, I have to ask: What are we really trying to achieve? How can we do it better? Is there a way to make it easier for all concerned?
I’m not a sociologist or theoritician. What interests me is planning on the ground. When and how is it best to start public process? How do we maintain the integrity of the design or plan through numerous iterations? Is there a point at which we should just end the public debates and take over as professionals?
I’d also like to know how best to define success in public process. Is it bringing the public around to our way of thinking? Ensuring that everyone with a stake in the results is at the table? Coming up with a design that everyone can live with?
Like my book, Designing Public Consensus: The Civic Theater of Community Participation for Architects, Landscape Architects, Planners, and Urban Designers, this blog is an exploration. We hope to continue telling stories and presenting many different perspectives.
Please join in the discussion by adding comments, raising questions, and sharing your own tales of public process—the ups and downs, moments of brilliance, good intentions gone wrong, common pitfalls, unseen roadblocks, and scenes from the civic theater.