The Neighborhood Charrette Handbook
visioning & visualizing your neighborhood's future
The Neighborhood Charrette Handbook has been developed by:
Dr. James A. Segedy, AICP and Bradley E. Johnson, AICP
We would like to acknowledge the additional contributions to this document by:
Scott Truex, AICP
Tony Costello, AIA
Harry Eggink, AIA
We would also like to acknowledge the contributions of:
The Community-Based Projects Program
College of Architecture and Planning
Ball State University
Munice, IN 47306
for its ideas, ideals, and dedication to the planning, design and development of
small communities and public education, and for its role in nurturing this endeavor.
We would also like to thank:
The Community Partnership
Post Office Box 1415
Muncie, IN 47308
(317) 724-7348 phone
(317) 724-3476 facsimile
for their technical and financial support in this endeavor.
For more information, please contact:
Dr. James A. Segedy, AICP, Associate AIA
Ball State University
(317) 285-5188 (phone)
(317) 285-2648 (facsimile)
00jasegedy@bsuvc.bsu.edu (e-mail)
Bradley E. Johnson, AICP
The Community Partnership
(317) 724-7348 (phone)
(317) 724-3476 (facsimile)
brado@indy.net (e-mail)
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I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people
themselves: and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control
with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform
their discretion.
Thomas Jefferson, 1820
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The vitality of our neighborhoods depends upon an informed and involved
citizenry. Although all citizens are consumers of community planning and design,
they are generally uniformed about the choices available to them or how to go
about getting more for their effort. A charrette workshop provides local officials
and concerned citizens with a set of resources and a process that will help educate
and involve the community in the decision-making process.
The charrette ( a Beaux Arts-derived term for a short, intensive design or planning
activity) workshop is designed to stimulate ideas and involve the public in the
community planning/design process. It is a valuable tool for laying the foundation
for the development of a more formal plan (i.e. comprehensive plan, master plan,
strategic plan, etc.). It is most effective as a component of the formal planning and
design process.
The charrette can be used in a multitude of applications. The charrette workshop
applications include, but are not limited to :
* s.w.o.t. identification
* quality of life assessment
* issue identification
* needs assessment
* project development and identification
* strategic planning
* energize the community
* consensus building
* visioning and visualizing
* communication and network enhancing
The charrette workshop establishes a platform for a free flow of information and
opinion sharing. Its primary role is to provide a forum for building community
consensus on a vision for the neighborhood's future through active involvement and
visualization - bringing the vision to life.
S.W.O.T.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats
A.L.P.O.
Assets, Liabilities, Potentials & Opportunities
S.W.I.N.E.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Issues, Needs & Expectations
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Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 28:18
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The Foundation
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Through working with numerous communities and planning professionals the
following list and description of "core" planning concepts has been developed.
These ideas are the basis for and essence of the charrette workshop process, thus
making this planning tool successful. The foundation is as follows:
1) Citizen Participation: All segments and groups within the community
should be represented throughout the process. Citizen participation
should be solicited from all age group, organizations, city/town
officials, interest groups, and from the general citizenry.
2) Empathize with Participants: Strive to fully understand the problems,
perceived problems, issues, and concerns of each participant. Do not
anticipate or predetermine the problems in a community and pass
judgment. Also, seek out the recommendations, ideas, and list of
assets from people throughout the community.
3) Understand the Community: Complete a thorough inventory
and assessment of the physical, social and economic aspects
of the community. There is never too much
information. Maps, photos (historic and current), demographics,
and other community date serve as a basis for decision making.
It is important that the information include more than just the
neighborhood -- context is critical.
4) Develop User/Reader Friendly Documents: Make absolutely
sure final documents and supplemental reports can be understood by
the lay person. Go to whatever means necessary to make these
reports easy to understand and follow.
5) Get It Started: A plan is not the final step in the process, rather it is
the beginning of the journey. Don't allow a plan to be "shelved"
and left to collect dust. Implementation is where the majority of plans fail.
A group or individual must provide leadership for each project
following the adoption or approval of the plan to insure completion.
6) Visualization & Visioning: Developing drawings and pictures is one
of the best tools for depicting accurately what is intended or expected.
Words alone generate a different mental image for each person
who reads them. Pictures generate a platform which is rarely
misunderstood and that can be discussed by individual component.
7) Follow Through & Benchmarking: At a specified time following the
competition of a planning project the plan must be revisited to
determine whether or not the projects are on track. This follow
through will also be an opportunity to check the progress-to-date
and compare benchmark dates.
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If you don't know where you're going your might end up someplace else.
Casey Stengel
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What a charrette will accomplish
Before deciding to begin a charrette, the neighborhood should first realize what this
unique planning process will ultimately accomplish. A charrette will:
* generate strong citizen participation and motivation towards planning and
community development projects:
* enhance communication within the neighborhood and increase awareness;
* bring community groups, leaders and citizens together to generate a
common community vision and solve community challenges;
* develop "doable" community development projects based on citizen input;
* identify potential funding sources for neighborhood projects;
* overall, give the community a starting point with specific action steps for
successful community development and quality-of -life enhancement
The process and end product
A charrette is a three-phase process:
* The first phase, the Pre-Charrette, focuses on developing, and working
with, a steering committee who will determine the primary focus of the charrette
and handle the logistics for Phase One and Two. It is suggested that the
steering committee work with the charrette facilitator to identify a
preliminary set of issues to be addressed during the charrette.
* The second phase, the Charrette Workshop, is generally a two-day,
intensive planning and design workshop involving the community in a
needs assessment, interviews with community groups, prioritization of
issues, development of recommendations, the identification of
neighborhood development projects and implementation strategies.
* Phase three, the Post-Charrette, consists of the preparation of a final
document outlining neighborhood strengths, challenges, recommendations,
neighborhood development projects, actions steps and potential funding
sources. The third phase also includes preparing and delivering a formal
presentation open to all members of the neighborhood and greater
community. It is during this phase that the community begins
implementation.
The entire charrette process usually takes between two and three months to
complete. There are several creative financing options available to assist
communities with the cost of a charrette.
Products of the charrette:
In addition to the clarification and prioritization of issues and clearly defining
projects, programs and action strategies, a charrette workshop will also result in
the production of tangible products such as:
* comprehensive, reader-friendly document with graphics
* newspaper tab, camera-ready for publication
* numerous graphics (mounted) illustrating projects and concepts, and
* promotional posters and press releases as necessary
A well run charrette can be a tremendous benefit to the neighborhood and a lot of
fun. The following is an outline of the basic steps for running a neighborhood
charrette workshop:
PHASE ONE: PRE-CHARRETTE ACTIVITIES
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Ads invited citizens to “open your mind and say Aaahh!” And they did.
Oregon Visions Project
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Issue/problem identification
This is probably the most important step in the process. The neighborhood must
first determine that it wants to get involved in this process, and is willing to do
something with the results. For any community planning activity to be successful,
the plan must actively involve and be supported by the community, not just a few
of its leaders. While the charrette workshop itself must be a community-wide
endeavor, it begins with the efforts of a few dedicated leaders that will establish the
foundation.
* define the primary and secondary issues related to the project
* determine the scope of the project
* identify the geographic area of the project
Establish a steering committee
As stated above, this is a community effort. To begin the process, and to see it
through to its ultimate fruition, it is usually best to identify a diverse group of local
citizens that can serve as the coordinators and facilitators of the process.
* create a citizen action group representing a broad base of community
interests ( will vary according to issues ) as outlined below.
- should be between 9 to 15 persons
- must insure diversity of opinions and ideologies
- include people actively interested in the issues and their solutions:
* business community
* neighborhood/citizen/homeowner associations
* elected officials
* technical staff
* church/religious organizations
* youth
* service groups
* public/private schools ( faculty, staff, students,
administration, etc. )
* city and county officials
* senior citizens
* persons from adjoining neighborhoods
* steering committee responsibilities:
- coordinate charrette activities
- establish timeline and meeting schedule
- establish preliminary list of issues/charrette focus
- arrange for financial support and manage charrette budget
- identify preliminary issues to be addressed during workshop
- assist in workshop facilitation
Charrette Participants ( team )
the charrette team is usually a group of individuals with a broad range of skills and
backgrounds. There are advantages and disadvantages to having local and outside
team members. Local members bring unique insights to the process while outside
members can bring a fresh, and objective, viewpoint to the activities. It is
important that the team be assembled for its skills, not just for the interests of the
individual members. The team will be primarily responsible for producing the
tangible results of the workshop. All interested members of the neighborhood are
welcome to participate in the charrette as members of the charrette team, or in
other ways only limited by their imagination.
* get an appropriate facilitator
- local leader ( not an elected official ) with good facilitation skills, or
from an outside, objective resource like a :
* university
* professional organization
* consultant
note: it is usually advised that the facilitator not be an elected
official due to public perceptions, etc.
- must be objective
- if possible, should be experienced in the charrette
process
- must be a good communicator
- must be trusted by the participants
- must be comfortable with the subject matter
- must be comfortable asking and answering difficult
questions
* should include people with skills in some or all of the following ( will vary
with charrette focus )
- urban/community planning
- architecture
- landscape architecture
- marketing
- civil engineering
- community and economic development
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We are confronted by insurmountable opportunities. Pogo
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Ideas for getting kids involved:
* Have elementary students make name tags out of construction paper.
Each participant can then select a personalized work of art to write their
name on and wear during the charrette.
* During the charrette workshop, have the kids draw pictures of how they
think their ideal city/town should look.
* Coordinate a Planner’s Day In School program prior to the charrette.
Get local kids involved. Spending a few hours with grade school students talking
about what they want to see in their neighborhood, and having them draw pictures
of what the future might look like can be great fun and will usually get the parents
involved as well. Local high school art students or drafting students make good
members of the charrette team. Get them involved!
Developing community relations and public awareness
The key to making the charrette an integral part of a successful community
planning and design effort is an informed public. One of the easiest, and most
effective means of informing and involving the community is through the local
media. The very nature of their existence is associated with being involved in the
local community and they are usually very eager to help in the process.
* contact local mass media ( newspaper, radio, television )
* generate posters/handbills & fliers
* create press releases
* write articles supporting the process and illustrating the issues
* inform service and religious organizations
- make presentations to groups
- share information
- encourage participants
* develop and architectural scavenger hunt
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One way for the neighborhood to “get primed” for the charrette is to develop an
“architectural scavenger hunt.” take pictures of local building details and publish
them in the newspaper. This will begin to involve the community through people
trying to identify the building. Prizes can be awarded for the most correct answers.
Assemble support information
An effective process begins with good information. Much of the charrette process
builds on public input, but a solid base of technical information is critical to having
accurate information. Especially useful are existing plans and historic profiles.
Essential are good base maps of the study area.
* identify key players in the community
* document existing conditions
- aerial photos
- maps
- previous planning documents
- studies or reports
- demographics and/or statistical information
- video/photographs/sketches
- surveys
- historical profiles ( newspaper files, photos, archives, historical
societies, books, etc. )
- governmental regulations
- reference materials and examples of related projects
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It is strongly suggested that the charrette have a strong visualization component.
That means that the products of the charrette will include an ample amount of
pictures and drawings to help illustrate the issues and ideas that arise from the
process. To facilitate this slides and /or prints of the study areas ( building
facades, open spaces, corridors, etc. ) should be taken prior to the actual charrette.
These snapshots can then be used ( traced ) as the basis for before/after
comparisons. Aerial photographs can also be very helpful in illustrating large-scale
and site associated issues.
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If you can dream it, you can do it. Walt Disney
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Charrette Logistics
The actual charrette workshop is the most visible aspect of the process. It is to
here that all the activity is focused. If the planning is well executed beforehand the
charrette itself while often an example of “organized chaos,” will be a fun and
productive opportunity for the community to build and visualize its future.
* establish dates
-consider community activities ( don’t conflict with major school,
church, sport, and other community activities ) - you can’t find a
“perfect” date, but every effort should be made to minimize conflicts.
- avoid holidays
- workshops will involve day and evening activities
- weekdays are generally better than weekend sessions
* establish the location for charrette workshops
- should be large enough to hold a large community meeting
- space should be flexible
- facility should have some furniture ( tables, chairs )
- facility should have adequate utility support ( electricity, restrooms,
kitchen ( if possible ), climate control, outlets, adequate lighting )
- facility should be centrally located and easily accessible
- facility should be politically neutral
* meals should be arranged for charrette team/participants
note: some will be carried in, some may be off-site. Have local restaurants
and/or service groups donate/prepare meals. Local citizens can
provide snacks.
* note: in many neighborhoods a lot of good will and buy in can be gained
by inviting the neighborhood to stay for lunch after the morning
interview sessions.
* if members of the charrette team are from out-of-town, accommodations
should be provided. They could stay at local inns/hotels, or stay with
community residents - this is preferred as it provides the team with a
chance to get to know the local people better. Transportation to and from
lodging must be arranged.
note: sleeping hours may vary considerably. This must be taken into
consideration when arranging accommodations
* materials and supplies
- newsprint paper - several large tablets are preferred - these are used
for recording ideas
* note: the sheets can also be easily taped to the walls for discussion
* note: it is better to use paper rather than chalk or white boards. The
individual sheets can be used for archival purposes and are
much easier to transport.
- several broad tipped, bold color markers
- markers are used for recording ideas onto newsprint paper
-masking tape or tacks to attach sheets to walls
- rolls of tracing paper - for quick sketches, overlays, etc.
* items for formal presentations
- copy machine ( with transparency capabilities )
- computer/word processor
- slide projector and screen
- overhead projector
- 35 mm camera with Polaroid instant slide film & processor
- colored markers and/or pencils
When possible, the location should be “ in the heart of it all.” If neighborhood
revitalization is a major theme of the charrette - a vacant storefront is a great
location to drive the point home.
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Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision is just passing
time. Vision with action can change the world. Joel
Barker
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FACILITATOR’S GUIDE
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For your information, let me ask you a few questions. Sam Goldwyn
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Responsibilities and attitude
* the best facilitators are positive, energetic, assertive, well-organized and respected
* facilitators stimulate and manage group process and flow of information, but do
not manipulate the decision-making process
* the facilitator’s primary responsibility is to see that the work gets done- as a
leader not as a superior
* the facilitator should maintain the enthusiasm of the group and group process
* the facilitator must ensure that everyone participates
* you are accountable for the success of the group, be open to criticism
* be organized
The setting
* the best environment is one that is neutral
- if the issues are politically or emotionally charged, hold the
meeting/workshop at a neutral location
- have the participants seated around a round table or facing eachother in a
circle
- you shouldn’t have more than 8 to 10 people in a cell group
- if the circumstances required a more traditional “classroom” setting, people
will typically not sit in the front row. Just prior to the meeting
beginning, remove the first row of seats. This gesture will usually put
the participants at ease.
- it is generally better to add seats than to have a large number of vacant
ones
* avoid locations that have distractions like small kids and phones
* make sure the room is at a comfortable temperature and has adequate lighting
* it is important to be able to maintain eye contact with everyone
* be organized
Running the meeting
* start on time and end on time - identify expendable items on the agenda in the
event that something has to be deleted
* establish ground rules right up front
* clearly identify the purpose, issues and products early in the meeting/workshop
* establish a clear understanding of why the meeting is taking place. It avoids
misunderstandings, arguments and wasted time. Include even the emotional
events in the summary - if they are ignored they will usually come back to haunt
you.
* introductions: it is important that everyone know who they are working with. If
the group is large, have the members of the cell groups identify themselves.
* when possible try to break up cliques. It is better to get a fresh perspective that
builds on momentum already started.
* make sure that everything gets recorded. It is best if the participants write their
own ideas, but having assistants will help the process
* review the agenda: it reinforces the tasks and expected outcomes of the
meeting/workshop
* summarize decisions, actions and responsible parties at the end of the session.
Designate a follow-up person.
* be organized
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When you come to a fork in the road - take it! Yogi Bera
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The Art of Facilitation
(adapted from the Rocky Mountain Institute Facilitators Manual)
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Even a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. Chinese
proverb
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Content and process:
* content ( the subject being dealt with ) is critical at the beginning - during the
orientation, once the meeting is under way, process ( how participants interact
) is the prime focus of the facilitator
* don’t let your interest in content interfere with the process. Set aside ego and
focus on making the process functional
* it is appropriate to participate in the discussion by making assertions, suggesting
alternatives, etc. Make it clear that your role is primarily to facilitate the
process.
Keep on track:
It’s easy to get involved in the discussions, but it’s critical to keep on the subject
to keep people interested and involved, and to avoid confusion. It may be
appropriate to clarify the key points in order to keep the discussion flowing.
Avoid circular discussion - break in and get the discussion on the next point.
* if the subject strays, bring it back on track
* trust your intuition. It is also important to realize when not to get in the way of
meaningful dialog. Make sure it’s o.k. with the group if the conversation
remains focused on a singular set of issues.
* clarity is critical. It is important that everyone understands the subject and
purpose of the discussion. If the conversation isn’t going anywhere and there
are pregnant pauses, repeat the subject and direction of the issues immediately.
Dangling conversation is death to process.
Fairness and respect:
* ensure that everyone has ample opportunity to share their ideas.
* critical to the success of the meeting/workshop is the feeling of involvement of all
participants. If there are several people that want to speak at once - establish a
quick list. If someone is anxious to talk, be aware of body language and
maintain eye contact. Let the person know you’re aware of their eagerness to
participate.
* make everyone comfortable with participating. If certain people (often with little
to say ) are dominating the conversation - give them the responsibility of
allowing the other members of the group to speak
* tame the lions. If certain people are monopolizing the conversation, thank them
for their ideas and ask for others to offer their ideas. If you are respectful in
your involvement, people will respond in a constructive manner.
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__Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world;
indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead
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Active listening is a vital part of the process:
Key components of the facilitator:
* acknowledge people for perceptive suggestions. Willingness to work an with
an adversary - anything. Don’t lie or be gushy, just make sure they feel part of
the action.
* empathy - understand any difficulties that participants might have with the
process and/or the subject. Describing similar experiences from your
experience is often helpful. Don’t confuse sympathy with empathy.
Acknowledge feelings such as anger, but don’t take sides or be judgmental - it
is inappropriate for a facilitator.
* clarify - often in the spontaneity of the moment, important concepts get garbled.
Help clarify the ideas, but do so without adding color. Don’t add values,
assumptions, etc. - even if you’re right.
* closure - it is important to bring each topic to a distinct conclusion before adding
a new set of issues to the dialog. It is also important to clarify the action steps
and key people responsible for implementation.
* disagreement and conflict are a necessary and creative part of any
meeting/workshop. Through an atmosphere of trust, disagreements can be
aired and resolved before they lead to “unconstructive” and bad feelings.
Unresolved bad feelings lead to misunderstandings, discourage participation,
and often lead to the dissolution of the group process. Five ways that conflict is
dealt with include:
- avoidance occurs when one or more parties withdraws form the conflict.
While, on the surface, this may make the process run smoother, it often
leads to bad feelings and non-participation if the person feels they are being
ignored.
- smoothing over helps preserve relationships by placing greatest emphasis
on agreement and avoid conflict, but it can also be interpreted as giving in.
People who try to smooth things over are often taken advantage of.
- compromise involves the art of bargaining. It is many times the best
approach, but it is important to resort to compromise only after all
alternatives have been explored.
- forcing occurs when one authoritative position is adopted at the expense of
another, often without discussion. While it may lead to a form of closure,
it is rarely productive.
- problem solving or consensus building involves a process in which a
cooperative feeling works to ward a win-win solution. Both sides needs
are identified and confronted through open discussion. While this may
seem like an ideal, it is a long process and will often result in one of the
other four conflict responses.
* no approach is appropriate for every situation. Through trust building and
openness, the facilitator will find his/her greatest challenge in managing these
situations.
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It is important to maintain an optimistic and positive attitude throughout the
process. Enthusiasm is infectious and can be quenched by criticism or insincere
patronizing.
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Tell me, I forget. Show me, I remember. Involve me, I understand.
Chinese Proverb
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Ground Rules
* welcome new comers by summarizing the process and decisions reached. All
participants are welcome, but it is important that those that have been involved
in the beginning don’t feel their promptness and full participation is a wasted
effort.
* the process is action oriented. While standing decisions should be resistant to
modification, meaningful challenge can be healthy
* consensus is always a goal. It is important to understand that consensus does not
necessarily mean total agreement, but it does embrace acceptance
* if consensus cannot be achieved, democracy is usually an effective mechanism of
bringing closure to the issue. It is always important to record the minority
opinion. The points may be invaluable at a later time
* if you know you are a dominant person, make a concerted effort to encourage
input from those less dominant.
* speak toward achieving consensus rather than in a manner that will win debate
points
* when responding to another’s ideas, emphasize agreements as well as point out
areas of disagreement
* leave all old disputed, prejudices and closed minds at home
* assume that no one has the entire answer, but rather everyone has part of the
answer.
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The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Eleanor
Roosevelt
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Sample Schedule for the Charrette
The actual schedule must be flexible. Public meeting times should be firm and
closely adhered to , but you do not want to miss out on special opportunities or
stop creative energy just to keep on schedule. It should also be noted that these
“days” do not have to be contiguous. In some cases it is better to have several days
between sessions to allow the team and community to “catch its breath” but
spreading the process out over too long a period of time will lose momentum and
public interest in the process.
Several months prior to the charrette:
Hold an organizational meting with the steering committee and the charrette
facilitator to set goals and arrange a basic schedule. The steering committee
should hold regular meetings to make sure all necessary preparations are
being made.
One month prior to the charrette:
All plans should be finalized. First press releases should be sent out to area
media.
The Charrette
Session #1 Steering Committee Meetings/Charrette Team Meetings
Goal: to develop a working relationship between the charrette team and the
steering committee.
Note: this can be held the night before the workshop, at or after dinner; or at
a breakfast meeting
* an informal setting makes the information flow easier
* casual conversation is more effective than formal presentation
* have the steering committee and charrette team introduce themselves
( people-to-people style) with a short background statement and interests
* this is a good opportunity for the steering committee to share and explain
their issues list with the charrette team
Session #2 Context Development -
First Day, morning Community/ Issue Orientation
Goal: to get a first-hand look at the community for the charrette team and
provide an orientation of the background information
* a walking tour of the area led by members of the historical society,
neighborhood leaders, children, planning staff, etc. is an important event
for both the charrette team and the steering committee
* have the steering committee summarize its interests
* view any videotapes or slides of the community
* study maps, aerials, photos, etc.
* review planning reports and other technical documents
Session #3 From the Horse’s Mouth -
First Day, morning Interview and Input Sessions
Goal: to provide the opportunity for diverse citizen and public groups to
discuss issues with the Charrette Team
* divide the study team into small groups to facilitate interaction and
effective communication
* schedule interview times to help insure that each group will be properly
heard
* each interview session should run approximately 45 minutes. Multiple
groups can be interviewed simultaneously, each with its own facilitator
and its own recorder.
* questions should inched assets, liabilities, needs, goals, etc.
* after the interview session, give each participant a strip of colored dots and
ask them to “vote” with their dots for the most important issues
(each issue identified by the steering committee will have been written
on a piece of news print and hung on the wall). They can put all their
dots on 1 issue, or distribute them as they see fit. This helps prioritize
the issues.
Session #4
First Day, afternoon Team Analysis and Issue Clarification
Goal: to provide and opportunity for the charrette team to assimilate and
discuss observations and prepare for the public meeting
* this is a critical regrouping of the charrette team to brainstorm, share ideas,
develop preliminary observations and recommendations and get
organized for the evening public session.
Session #5 Open the Doors
First Day, evening Community Discussion and Feedback
Goal: to summarize Charrette Team’s initial impressions and provide the
community with preliminary assessment and analysis. To obtain broader
citizen input and feedback
* team: summarize input and analysis:
- develop SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) list
- develop goals and objectives and priorities ( dots )
* community
- react to charrette team’s initial impressions
- confirm or redirect the focus
Session # 6 Getting It Done: Development of Goals and Objectives/
Recommendations
After preliminary presentation / 2nd day
Goal: to clarify the focus of the workshop and to develop and visualize
recommendations
* team meeting to share ideas, coordinate tasks, and organize into project
teams
* team members work individually, or in small teams to develop their
recommendations with supporting drawings and narrative
* the charrette team should meet several times to coordinate
recommendations and projects
* during the afternoon session, steering committee members are encouraged
to work with the charrette team in finalizing their ideas. This helps in
developing ownership in the project by the steering committee/community
* produce final graphics and supportive narrative
Session #7 The Big Show - Presentation of Findings to the Community
Goal: to present charrette findings to the community
* public meeting with graphic and verbal presentation
* can be reinforced with newspaper “tab”
* present the challenge of following through with the projects
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The vision of things to be done may come a long time before the way of doing
them appears clear, but woe to him who distrusts the vision Jenkins
Lloyd Jones
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Phase Three: Post Charrette Activities
The post charrette activities can be broken down into three steps. First, the
document and presentation preparation; second, presentation and approval; and
third, implementation and benchmarking.
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We need to accept change and make it our friend Robert
Theobald
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Document and presentation preparation
Following the completion of the charrette workshop the charrette team should first
complete the following items:
1) a newspaper “tab”
2) a reader/user friendly document
3) formal presentation materials
The newspaper “tab” ( a specially printed newspaper insert ) should be printed and
delivered with the local newspaper to all subscribers and readers. This insert shall
include a summary of the findings, ideas, projects and recommendations.
The newspaper tab has several purposes. First to give the general population a
chance to learn about what is happening in the community. Second, to further
solicit input and information ( a planning process is never finished ). Third, to
interest and encourage people to attend the final presentation. Make sure there is
at least a week between the publishing date of the newspaper tab and the final
presentation.
The final document should be completed using the information and ideas collected
to date. The final document should not be finished until after the final
presentation. There will surely be some minor changes following the presentation.
Formal presentation materials should include slides and a handout. Slides of
drawings, project concepts, character/design samples and existing conditions are
most useful. The handout should summarize the entire project for those who may
not have been involved prior to the presentation ( the newspaper tab can be used
for handout).
It is critical that the final report be:
* action oriented
* user friendly
* positive
* free of jargon
* highly visual
* in “bulletized” format
* be explanatory ( not just descriptive )
Presentation and Approval
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In dreams begin responsibility William Butler
Yeats
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The final presentation must be thoroughly advertised and take place in a politically
neutral facility which is easy to find. A verbal presentation in conjunction with a
slide show is generally the best format. Following the presentation, ask for
questions and comments and have someone to document question and answer and
comments.
Following the presentation, the final document should be modified if necessary
according to comments at the final presentation. The document should then be
approved and adopted by the steering committee.
Implementation and Benchmarking
Finalizing the charrette process is the only part of the overall process. Most plans
fail because people do not know how to begin implementing the project and
programs. A leader must be found for each project to follow through from start to
completion. Without that leader the project has little hope of succeeding. It is
often helpful to identify a single person to serve as a coordinator. The Steering
Committee can also continue as the coordinating body.
Start with projects that are short-term and highly visible. This type of project will
help get the momentum going by making small but noticeable improvements. A
common mistake is to first take on a large project to create a big impact. Too often
these projects fail because people lose their energy for the project. Non-visible
(behind the scenes) projects should also be put off until the momentum gets going.
Non-visible project are rarely recognized by the public, thus are mush less
rewarding to the contributors.
People will rally around successful projects and efforts. If projects and efforts
often fail, so too will recruiting volunteers. Furthermore, successful projects will
generate more volunteers who can then be integrated into long-term and non-
visible projects.
Benchmarking is the process of establishing measurable goals for the completion of
specific projects and tasks. Benchmarking should be used to evaluate a project’s
concept and progress. This should be a scheduled event and act as a platform for
modifications and an opportunity to celebrate successes.
One method to help assure successful implementation of projects is to hire an
intern from a planning program or similar field to “spearhead” and coordinate the
projects. This intern position can become a town manager or other local person
after a three month period of time. It is also a good opportunity for a circuit-rider
planner, if a full-time or local staff position is not possible.
One of the community’s greatest resources are its local citizens. An involved,
empowered and focused group of volunteers can be a true catalyst for turning the
vision into reality.
Ruby Slippers
The power to tap into the creative resources of your community has always been in
your power. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, you too have a pair of Ruby
Slippers to help you find the way. the charrette workshop is one of the best tools
to build a successful planning and community revitalization process. Whether to
enhance a comprehensive plan, strategic plan, or development planning process the
charrette can be used to help visualize your community’s ideas and get local
residents, businesses and community leaders involved.
Have fun!