Citizens

illustration by Marc Hughes for the PlannersWeb

illustration by Marc Hughes for the PlannersWeb
For planning commissioners who have just concluded a heated public hearing, the happy citizens illustrated above must appear as a cruel joke. Perhaps, however, the citizens have just returned from a dynamic and exciting workshop helping to envision the community’s future!

PCJ Articles

Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Holding Public Hearings or Meetings

by Jim Segedy, FAICP, and Lisa Hollingsworth-Segedy, AICP

With our apologies to David Letterman, and in the spirit of helping you avoid the holes in the rocky road of being a planning commissioner, we present the Top Ten Mistakes to Avoid When Holding Public Hearings or Meetings.

Bright Ideas

A Look at Urban Interactive Studio’s “Engaging Plans” Web Tool

Della Rucker interviews Chris Haller of Urban Interactive Studio

PlannersWeb columnist Della Rucker’s first video cast is a conversation with Chris Haller of Urban Interactive Studio about the new world of planning project web site development — and a look at his firm’s “Engaging Plans” web site tool.

Editor's Notes & Interviews

Bridging the Digital Divide … in Our Libraries

by PlannersWeb Editor Wayne Senville

Planners are increasingly relying on the web and online tools to gather public input. But there are concerns about the “digital divide” and whether all segments of the community can participate. A look at how public libraries are helping reduce the digital divide.

PCJ Articles

When Communication Goes One-Way

by Della Rucker, AICP, CEcD

We claim in local government to want to have the community involved — we call it “public engagement” or “public feedback” or “stakeholder involvement” — but the fact is, most of the time we’re paying lip service to the idea, at best if we want to find solutions to the complex, tangled issues we face — whether it’s the impact of a new development or revisions to a sign code — we need dialogue, we need collaborators.

PCJ Articles

Don’t (just) Ask; Don’t (just) Tell

by Della Rucker, AICP, CEcD

Collaboration should be the ultimate goal of our planning efforts. If we design our public engagement strategies to build Collaboration, we can do more than what our planning commissions can do alone. We can strengthen the full set of muscles we need to make the entire community better.

Editor's Notes & Interviews

What Really Counts in a Community

PlannersWeb Editor Wayne Senville, reporting from Bath, Maine

We all know that the bottom line in what really counts in building strong communities is … the people. Committed citizens can pull together and make just about any place better. That’s just what I saw on a windy Saturday in the small city of Bath, Maine.

Insights

Our New Public Hearings Resource Guide — Now Available on the PlannersWeb

Take a look at the latest addition to the PlannersWeb. Our 12-part Resource Guide will provide you tips and ideas on how to better manage public hearings. The Resource Guide also points you to other relevant online information and documents.

Editor's Notes & Interviews

Getting the Planning Commission to Know the Community (and its issues) Better

We can use your help and feedback now. This Fall we’ll be featuring a series of posts on how planning commissioners can get to know their community better. Find out about what we’re planning — then leave your ideas and suggestions. Thanks! Wayne Senville, Editor, PlannersWeb.com

PCJ Articles

How Wise Is Your Crowd?

by Gwendolyn Hallsmith

When a concept like the “wisdom of the crowd” suggests that we need to rely even more on public input to develop
a master plan or a new zoning ordinance, the initial reaction may well be deep skepticism. Yet, is it possible to tap into the knowledge of a large and diverse group of people?

Bright Ideas

Inviting Them In: Using Story as a Planning Tool

by Lisa Hollingsworth-Segedy

Storytelling is the universal human language. We think in story. We form our attitudes about the world around us in story. A primer on how story can be used in community planning.

Bright Ideas

Dialing for Citizens

by Otis White

You’ve worked hard to organize a community visioning initiative. There’s just one problem: how do you get citizens to participate? How do you persuade a cross-section of your community to attend vision meetings and share their ideas about the future? Pick up the phone, recommends civic consultant Otis White.

PCJ Articles

When Major Players Come to Bat

by Elaine Cogan

How do you deal with the “major players” in your community when land use issues are at stake?

« Older Articles