Plan Making and Implementation: Public Engagement

Question 1

Design Charrette

Answer 1

PI. Intensive collaborative effort that brings together citizens, stakeholders, and staff to develop a detailed design plan for a specific area.

Question 2

Delphi Method

Answer 2

PI. Structured iterative process to build consensus. Stakeholders do questionnaires. Feedback on responses is presented to group anonymously. Participants encouraged to revise answers based on replies. Answer range decreases and group converges in on solution.

Question 3

Nominal Group Technique

Answer 3

PI. Group process uses problem identification, solution generation, and decision making that can be used for groups of any size that want to come to a decision by vote. Participants then rank the solutions. The solution with the highest ranking wins.

Question 4

Facilitation

Answer 4

PI. Uses a person who with no direct stake in outcome of a meeting to help groups that disagree work together to solve complex problems and come to a consensus. The facilitator is typically a volunteer from the community who is respected by all groups.

Question 5

Mediation

Answer 5

PI. Method in which neutral third party facilitates discussion in structured multi-stage process to help parties reach a satisfactory agreement. The mediator assists parties in identifying priorities. Specifies measurable, achievable, realistic solutions.

Question 6

Public Hearing

Answer 6

PI. Typically associated with Planning Commission, City Council, etc. Allow formal citizen input at the end of a planning process. Typically mandated by law. Hearings are typically ineffective at building public participation and consensus.

Final decision-making process, often creates conflict because it is too late for public to affect decision, beyond point of negotiation

Question 7

Visual Preference Survey

Answer 7

Assists citizens in evaluating physical images of natural/built environments. View and evaluate variety of pictures depicting building styles, streetscapes, etc.

Question 8

Samoan Circle

Answer 8

The Samoan circle has people seated in a circle within a circle, however only those in the inner circle are allowed to speak. The inner circle should represent all the different viewpoints present, and all others must remain silent. The process offers others a chance to speak only if they join the inner circle.

Question 9

The Three C’s

Answer 9

Coalition Building: groups already agree on goal.

Consensus Building: diverse group of stakeholders that may have very different positions. Bring them together, make sure they have the same level of knowledge and understanding about the issue in questions, and get them to come to an acceptable solution for all sides.

Conflict Resolution: Should happen as a result of consensus building; could be win-win or win-lose.

Question 10

Sherry Arnstein’s ladder of public participation

Answer 10

o	Citizen power
	Citizen control
	Delegated power
	Partnership
o	Tokenism
	Placation
	Consultation
	Informing
o	Nonparticipation
	Therapy
	Manipulation

Question 11

Future Search

Answer 11

Future Search is a 2 ½ day event designed to result in a common vision of the future. The event is organized into five tasks of approximately 3-4 hours each.

I. Create a timeline of the community
II. Create a group mind map
III. Identify highly differentiated points of view
IV. Identify Common Futures