Those who claim to be experts in urban planning have likely devoted years of schooling, researching, observing, and even teaching the concepts. But, through that process of repeated of experiences, internal representations and cognitive maps are made and refined. These IRs and CMs are compact, dense, and rich in connection, have multiple results, including confidence, influencing perception, reducing attentional demands, as well as ease in creating predictions and thinking about the future and ease in dealing with complexity and abstract thoughts. But, being an expert also makes it hard to remember what it was like to be a novice. In the urban planning sense, it is hard for experts to realize that those involved in their projects, say the community or other stakeholders, may not have to same insight as the experts do, often causing friction. To avoid this, it is important for urban planners, and all experts, in general, to realize a few things about novices.
For one, the community likely lacks the same basic units, or internal representations, that urban planners have when approaching a project, like, for example, building a road in a neighborhood that will cause increased traffic flow in the area, but will help alleviate traffic problems in other areas of a town. It is hard for the community to see the bigger picture when their internal representations cause them to fight for their own benefits. In addition, new information can often overwhelm novices. If the urban planners come in with an entire new plan for their neighborhood where many people have likely lived for years, it can be a lot for the community to process. Change is not always favorable. Experts like urban planners have trouble realizing this when they have no connection to an area. Experts often take the “common knowledge” approach when dealing with stakeholders, which is probably the most detrimental effect.
When sharing information with stakeholders, it is important to consider some of the following pointers and tactics.
- Start where the novice is at by building on previous knowledge and considering existing internal representations and cognitive maps.
- Think about existing positive/negative thoughts they may have on an issue and attempt to present information in a way that focuses on these thoughts.
- Provide a variety of concrete examples, including past projects that have been successful and imagery like pictures or videos.
- Focus on two to seven ideas, as that is the “special number” to keep in mind considering how much information humans can process at one time.
- Limit distractions and allow novices to go at their own pace, and take breaks, when needed.
- Provide a structure that is easy to understand, usually best done with a linear approach that provides an overview and distinct landmarks along the way.
- Using a story to explain something is an option and can often put things in perspective.
- Encourage active participation and engagement, welcoming input and conversation. Participation is key!
Participation is extremely valuable in problem solving, especially in cases like urban planning where a project directly influences the surrounded community, like the example of the road through a neighborhood. When dealing with communities, local knowledge is a huge factor because it contributes what has been done in the past, what has and has not worked, what history, culture, customs, and traditions are involved, and what constraints and resources exist. As humans, we have an innate desire to be involved and to share our ideas and opinions. In urban planning, it is important to have neighborhood meetings with communities where a supportive setting is created that allows for maximum sharing of information. People hate feeling optional or easily substitutable, as well as feeling overwhelmed or incompetent. By using the pointers above, an environment conducive to exploring solutions and sharing ideas can be created. Below are a few suggestions for creating this environment.
- Start early
- Invite many people
- Keep stakeholders involved throughout the process
- Be sure to make clear sense and consider what stakeholders may not and may already know (may seem obvious, but is often overlooked when dealing with large projects)
- Provide options and alternatives
- Invite feedback
- Keep it small and simple, including physical space, amount of people, and time
- Always consider future meetings
As planners and as stakeholders, it is most important to remember that public participation is extremely beneficial, when done right! But at the same time, public participation, or too much of it, can be detrimental in urban planning cases. Why might this be? Could it eliminate the role of the expert?
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