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WHAT IS RESIDENT-LED NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING?

Neighborhood planning is nothing new, but resident-led efforts like the one you will explore in this Powerbook are distinctly different from traditional planning.

 

COMPARING TRADITIONAL VS. RESIDENT-LED PLANNING

TRADITIONAL PLANNING
RESIDENT-LED PLANNING
LEADERSHIP:
Led by local government (a city, township, municipality, etc.) or by consultants hired by local government
Led by a group of residents who organize and commit to seeing the process through and being the primary representatives and communicators in the process with their neighbors.
DECISION-MAKING:
While the process has points for resident feedback and input, typically local government or the consultants decide who is involved in the process, when to move from one step to the next, and ultimately what goes in the plan. The final plan is typically a creation of the planning consultant that may reflect some aspects of community feedback but is still largely driven by the consultant's perspective, the municipality’s priorities, and local real estate development trends and influences.
Every decision in the process belongs to the representative group of residents leading the process. The consultants are accountable to residents, and the resident leaders are accountable to their neighborhood stakeholders to ensure their community has ample opportunity and support to speak up and influence the plan priorities. Residents, not consultants, get the final say.
EXPERTISE:
Planners, consultants and others not from the neighborhood are elevated as the experts, often leading to residents being “talked at” and being directed by the technical experts and their teams.
Residents and their lived experiences are elevated and engaged as the primary experts on the history, present, and vision for the neighborhood. Planners, consultants and others provide insight and context by taking time to share complex ideas and options in everyday speech so that residents fully understand, engage, and make the best decision for their community.
TIMING:
Marches along to a predetermined set of procedures and a timeline with designated points for feedback from residents and stakeholders.
The process slows down or speeds up, revisits topics, and repeats actions as needed to ensure the community has the opportunity to fully explore moments of opportunity and conflict as they arise. It’s a flexible and customized approach.
IMPLEMENTATION:
Too often, these plans are documents that “sit on a shelf and collect dust” in part because they do not enough neighborhood-level ownership, interest, or support to move them forward.
Processes and plans are owned by the residents with more neighborhood-level participation, expectation, and accountability for plan implementation.

Ultimately, resident-led processes and plans are owned by the residents with more neighborhood-level participation, expectation, and accountability for plan implementation. They are unique in that there is not a single approach or way of doing things. The process is shaped by the relationships, social norms and culture, priorities, lived experiences, and practices of the residents.

WHAT IS RESIDENT-LED NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING?

Neighborhood planning is nothing new, but resident-led efforts like the one you will explore in this Powerbook are distinctly different from traditional planning.

 

TRADITIONAL PLANNING
RESIDENT-LED PLANNING
LEADERSHIP:
Led by local government (a city, township, municipality, etc.) or by consultants hired by local government
Led by a group of residents who organize and commit to seeing the process through and being the primary representatives and communicators in the process with their neighbors.
DECISION-MAKING:
While the process has points for resident feedback and input, typically local government or the consultants decide who is involved in the process, when to move from one step to the next, and ultimately what goes in the plan. The final plan is typically a creation of the planning consultant that may reflect some aspects of community feedback but is still largely driven by the consultant's perspective, the municipality’s priorities, and local real estate development trends and influences.
Every decision in the process belongs to the representative group of residents leading the process. The consultants are accountable to residents, and the resident leaders are accountable to their neighborhood stakeholders to ensure their community has ample opportunity and support to speak up and influence the plan priorities. Residents, not consultants, get the final say.
EXPERTISE:
Planners, consultants and others not from the neighborhood are elevated as the experts, often leading to residents being “talked at” and being directed by the technical experts and their teams.
Residents and their lived experiences are elevated and engaged as the primary experts on the history, present, and vision for the neighborhood. Planners, consultants and others provide insight and context by taking time to share complex ideas and options in everyday speech so that residents fully understand, engage, and make the best decision for their community.
TIMING:
Marches along to a predetermined set of procedures and a timeline with designated points for feedback from residents and stakeholders.
The process slows down or speeds up, revisits topics, and repeats actions as needed to ensure the community has the opportunity to fully explore moments of opportunity and conflict as they arise. It’s a flexible and customized approach.
IMPLEMENTATION:
Too often, these plans are documents that “sit on a shelf and collect dust” in part because they do not enough neighborhood-level ownership, interest, or support to move them forward.
Processes and plans are owned by the residents with more neighborhood-level participation, expectation, and accountability for plan implementation.

Ultimately, resident-led processes and plans are owned by the residents with more neighborhood-level participation, expectation, and accountability for plan implementation. They are unique in that there is not a single approach or way of doing things. The process is shaped by the relationships, social norms and culture, priorities, lived experiences, and practices of the residents.

BENEFITS & YIELDS OF RESIDENT-LED PLANNING

There are benefits to Resident-led Neighborhood Planning for every kind of stakeholder. Resident-led planning also yields active and engaged residents taking control of their neighborhood’s future. A survey of the residents who participated in the weCollab planning process demonstrated powerful outcomes due to their experience in the planning process.

BENEFITS:

Neighborhood-Based Organizations & Funders

can improve relations with the communities they are partnering with and working on behalf of to meaningfully build something together.

Local Governments

can gain the support of and be a partner to their constituents by supporting the creation of an actionable plan, adopting their direct aspirations.

Consultants

get exposure to paths they may not have considered on their own and have a greater chance for the plan to be feasible and relevant long after the consulting relationship ends by being directed by residents in what challenges, opportunities, and solutions to explore.

YIELDS:

POWER

Better understanding of and belief in the reality of one’s influence on the direction of their neighborhood and decision-making.

CONNECTION

Increased ability to lead, collaborate, and be in relationship with their neighbors.

ALIGNMENT

Increased feelings of unity and agreement with their neighborhood & resident leaders and confidence talking to neighbors and others about their plan and vision for the neighborhood.

STAGES & SEQUENCE

PRE-PLANNING

BUILD SOLIDARITY:

Residents interested in leading a planning effort take time to get to know each other, uncover their common concerns, form groups, secure funding, and raise awareness among local stakeholders. Stakeholders can include residents plus any groups, organizations, or individuals with a vested interest in the neighborhood.

BUILD UNDERSTANDING:

Residents and neighborhood stakeholders collect, organize, and make sense of areas of opportunity or concern, the conditions that have influenced the current state of the neighborhood, and their ideas for what their shared future could look and feel like.

PLANNING & ENGAGEMENT

EXPLORE WAYS FORWARD:

With the insight of planning consultants and guidance from local governments, residents consider their options for evolving their neighborhood based on what they uncovered and prioritized in the prior stage of building understanding.

REFINE AND EMBED THE PLAN:

Ideas are tested for relevance and consensus to define resident priorities and actions as concretely as possible. Consensus among neighborhood stakeholders and support from local government for the forming plan are gained and confirmed. Surveys, public meetings, and focus groups are conducted to inform final decisions made in the plan.

DRAFTING & ADOPTION

The priorities, actions, research, and recommendations are compiled into a document following the locality’s process and requirements to be submitted for adoption.

IMPLEMENTATION

This is when the plan is put into action by the efforts of everyone involved: residents and other neighborhood stakeholders (including neighborhood-based organizations), local government agencies, developers, and elected officials.

RECOMMENDED SUPPORTS

COALITION

Residents who are actively engaged in your community and are willing to work together to shape and advance a vision. Everyone will not enter the process with the same views, and that is ok. The will to find common ground in the interest of your community is what matters most.

NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED ANCHOR

A person or an organization within your community that can serve as an anchor for the process and support keeping the coalition of residents and their consultants grounded in what has already been explored and decided, and what is ahead. This role can be seen as a neutral facilitator – someone tasked with keeping the conversation and process advancing productively.

PLAN REQUIREMENTS

If not fully conducted by local government, guidance early on from your local government on what is required in a planning process and document to ensure what is produced will be honored and supported by local government in implementation.

FUNDING

Resources to support a rich process complete with consultants who will listen to and be directed by residents. Funding and technical planning consultants are not required to start a process but we want to be upfront in acknowledging that at some point both will be needed for a process and plan that reflects the desires and will of your community and sets a well-informed, actionable vision.

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