Research Bulletin 1

Today I have managed to firm up a (very rough) first draft literature review for my third sector organisation in community engagement research. I should hopefully be able to see how this stacks up against some of the observation and interview data I've been gathering the past few months. 

Its too early to say definitively, but I feel the literature review is leading me towards considering the communicative and 'social capital' implications of the involvement of third sector organisations in planning and place making engagement. Hope to have some stronger perspectives from the data soon!    

Place making engagement: hitting the street or setting up shop?

Having had the time to think about last week's GoGarnock Charrette event, one thing that's become clear is that the days of expecting people to come to you in engagement may be numbered. Faced with a very low turnout at some of the key workshops over the three days and different host towns, the volunteers needed to hit the streets in starting conversations with the public about their place.


This requires a certain bearing and skills on the part of the volunteer. However, the more active approach did seem to make it easier to reach a broader cross section of people. Unsurprisingly, my most in depth conversations about place with local people were in the comfortable setting of one of the local coffee shops. Considering my previous posts on 'sustainable engagement' and advocating the benefits of long term dialogue over an event based model, I cant help but wonder whether planners should themselves be 'setting up shop' in  the places which have the most difficult place shaping challenges.


Are the days of engagement in the town hall or sports centre becoming numbered?

Go!...Garnock

I will be heading to Kilburnie for GoGarnock http://gogarnock.com later this week as a volunteer facilitator. Hope to find some more interesting issues for my research as well as helping out in the community of course!

Fauldhouse Focus

Getting ready to go to the Fauldhouse Focus event, operated by PAS tonight as one of the case studies for my research on third sector involvement in facilitating community engagement in the planning system.

The engagement agenda?

As my current research into the role of third sector organisations in facilitating planning engagement continues,  my interview data has so far highlighted the role of the charrette event in providing a focus to bring people together and set their minds to what their 'place' could become. While the long term planning issues may take years to see conversion into physical development, what is indicated is that the initial engagement setting provides a catalyst for short and medium term actions in the community and, most importantly, the social connections to facilitate this. 

While the large scale regeneration and development projects of the recent past may now be a memory, perhaps a new space for planning has been created. Nick Wright, RTPI Scotland convenor in a recent journal article and blog piece has noted the convergence of spatial and community planning in recent years and the expanded opportunities this creates for 'place shaping'. In practice, I would be the first to  admit that many of these non spatial issues can often confuse discussion or result in the response 'not my department'. However, the connections made in the wake of a charrette are potentially a way for communities to take action on a broad front, unburdened by this red tape and the silos which can so often hamper public professionals.

While some well off communities are more than equipped to take these actions forward, many others do not have the knowledge or perhaps more importantly; the language, to engage with these issues and to negotiate change. I see a clear place for Local Government Planners, of whom I was one for many years, to assist in this regard, considering their professional knowledge and political experience. Much of the recent canvassing for the forthcoming Scottish Elections has focussed upon ending austerity and public sector cuts. On Election Day, I would therefore ask whomever forms the new government to consider how the public sector can support local people in creating meaningful change in place and providing the resources to bring this about.