Why engage the community?
Engaging the community- whether local, regional or even national is becoming increasingly important as a way of design that more democratic and informed. Community engagement could also be variously described as social engagement, community participation or even ultimately participatory design depending upon the level of engagement and the power given to the stakeholders or participants who may be referred to as ‘co-designers’. As community consultation and engagement get more difficult due to these reasons, paradoxically the process is required even more for reasons of accountability. By engaging community members, it ensures the sustainability of the project and promotes accountability. Thus it has become a significant aspect of the planning and design process, particularly in public procurement, community projects and urban planning.‘Engagement’ includes many diverse activities and approaches undertaken to varying degrees and levels by stakeholders, ranging from informing, public consultation to active participation (Arnstein,1966) can also be a particularly difficult process in today’s globalised world where the ‘community’ can be composed of a moving or transient population with different origins and needs, unlike the more stable communities of the past. Consider another example- an ageing population may make community engagement difficult but it is vital to consult everyone to ensure the success of the project.
Architects, in particular, need to be aware of and use community engagement when delivering public projects. Community engagement also forms a part of the RIBA criteria for validation in studying architecture. These validation criteria integrate participation and engagement into design teaching with the understanding of the relationship between people and buildings; and between buildings and their environment, and the need to relate buildings and the spaces between them to human needs and scale. Thus the consideration of the profession of architecture and the role of the future architect as an active citizen, within the social and contextual factors, are integrated right from the start into the making of the architect. Recently research from NESTA (an independent charity which works with social innovations) and CABE have taken this further by looking at the economic benefits of wider social engagement. By publishing their ground-breaking research and calling it the ‘Civic Economy’, they have shown that there are tangible benefits to community engagement in ‘the aftermath of the financial crisis and against the context of deep environmental and social change.’ Statutory requirements Many local authorities state the need for the statutory requirement of the planning system on engaging the community effectively. Through such consultation, local issues such as effect of a project on the community and environment may be gauged and mitigated for. Such actions may also protect land from development, based on the outcome of the consultation- for example, leaving open parks or for natural heritage. Plans may be also bound by European Union, national and regional strategies and therefore requirement for public engagement is an integral part of the process. Through community consultation the constraints and issues on planning decisions are clearly revealed. This enables the designers, local authorities and the community to understand and contribute to what can be changed and become aware of aspects that cannot be changed. It is essential for planning authority, including councilors and planning committees, to promote wider public awareness of development plans by engaging actively with the people they represent. Participation is also linked to urban poverty according to the UN- “[Poverty] is also characterised by lack of participation in decision- making and in civil, social and cultural life”. Therefore participation and engagement can contribute to wider social, economic and environmental benefits. The new Plan of work 2013 has the scope to include participation in the design process.
Business benefits
As community engagement is connected with social issues, it is natural that the social issues are the drivers for economic change as documented in the case studies from Compendium for Civic Economy 2011-12. Further, business benefits can be immediate, apparent or conspicuous or they could be long term and inconspicuous. Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, the Japanese philosopher, has defined ‘value’ being of three components- beauty, benefit and good- and these are used in business culture to define values. For our study of business benefits, we are concerned particularly with benefit and good. Thus values of benefit and good together can be found in the immediate and apparent as well as in the long term and inconspicuous- in fact the later being more desirable. In the foreword to the first edition of the Compendium for the Civic Economy, 2011, the Prime Minister, David Cameron, writes about the case studies featured- “The inspiring examples in these pages have achieved everything from supporting local farmers to reducing carbon emissions to helping educate children from disadvantaged backgrounds. These are real, tangible benefits- they show just what a powerful difference can be made when people come together to make life better.” Some benefits include:
1. Better and wider use of local resources such as local knowledge, bio-diversity, volunteer help, local fundraising and donations and materials.
2. Better design and reduced building and operating costs as needs and benefits are accommodated in the design right from the start.
3. Enhanced accountability and responsibility for the finished design by the community. This also includes more involvement from the end users in the actual building.
4. Design process results in unique projects that are often ground breaking and innovative.
5. Though initial consultation may take a long time, once the process is finished, the actual realization of the project will be much quicker.
6. May bring repeat work to the architect as the intention is for long term commitment and engagement from all sides.
7. Association with and participation in communities can contribute to employee morale and engagement and reduced staff turnover (time and money saving).
How to engage the community
Effective community engagement invariably has elements of fun and irreverence along with more serious and conventional ways. The tools needed may be simple such paper, post-it notes and pencils. Conventional methods The conventional methods range from interviews, questionnaires (electronic or human) debates and discussions. Door knocking and traveling exhibits in vans and buses also draw in the community. The right opportunity and place to engage the community is equally important. Events where the community naturally gather such as worship times, meetings fairs, schools and sports days can be used to involve the community, especially families and older people. Local and even larger businesses are often interested in projects, seeing it as local opportunity and may sponsor events within the community. Unconventional methods The more ‘fun’ activities such as “Planning for real®’ where models are used to encourage people to think about solutions and ‘planning games’ derived from monopoly board games and derivations of flash cards to trigger ideas.
Designing Participation 