participatory challenges
The truth is that there are very few opportunities for communities to come together to talk about how their place is working outside formal planning consultation processes that ask people to respond to change that is already well underway. We have found that creating a conversation which starts from a broader look at how a place is working or could... See more
Scheme-based vs Place-based Conversations
Afzalan and Mulle r (2018) conclude that issues around privacy, ethics, security and equity should still remain key considerations when exploring online participation.
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However, there is still a huge skills gap around design
engagement, and perhaps more importantly, there is still
a lack of coherent and consistent systems and processes
to support both those tasked with delivering design
engagement, and those who would like to take part, but
simply can’t find a clear route into participating.
It is more important than ever to work with established networks and advocates to reach traditionally excluded sections of society
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This project-based approach to design engagement often invites local people and organisations into dialogue to speak about a project operating with limited budgets and timescales for engagement, and under immense pressure to move the project through a series of design and planning stages, in alignment with political calendars and with local and... See more
Scheme-based vs Place-based Conversations
Further to this, Afzalan and Muller (2018) highlight the costs involved in initiating digital methods as a key obstacle in increasing online participation
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This can lead to a few different challenges:
- Engagement being seen as a barrier rather than a resource : The statutory requirement for consultation on schemes, means that it is inevitably seen as a box to tick to achieve planning consent.
Scheme-based vs Place-based Conversations
The work of Falco and Kleinhans (2018) discusses this from the point of view of Local Government and identifies a series of challenges, including internet accessibility and varying levels of digital literacy, pre-existing institutional frameworks, keeping pace with technological advancements and data management, process related challenges,... See more
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One of the first observations that emerged from these conversations was that people don’t think of their local places and neighbourhoods in terms of political or site boundaries. More often than not, perceptions of neighbourhood borders, and of the elements that fit together to make up a neighbourhood, differ from person to person, and vary... See more