How can open spaces foster community engagement and participation in planning processes?

1 Benefits of open spaces

Open spaces can provide multiple benefits for urban planning, such as improving environmental quality, enhancing public health, promoting social cohesion, and supporting local economy. They can also serve as platforms for civic engagement, where people can express their opinions, share their experiences, and participate in decision-making. Open spaces can facilitate dialogue, trust, and mutual learning among diverse stakeholders, as well as stimulate creativity and innovation.

2 Types of open spaces

Open spaces can vary in size, shape, location, function, and design. They can range from large-scale natural parks and greenways to small-scale pocket parks and plazas. They can be located in central or peripheral areas, in residential or commercial districts, or along waterfronts or transit corridors. They can have different functions, such as recreation, education, culture, or activism. They can also have different design features, such as vegetation, furniture, art, or technology.

3 Strategies for engagement

To maximize the potential of open spaces for community engagement and participation in planning processes, planners should consider a range of strategies that are suitable for the context and goals of each project. This could include co-designing open spaces with the community, creating temporary or pop-up spaces to test ideas, organizing events and activities to attract and involve diverse groups of people, providing tools and resources to enable the community to share their views, and building partnerships and networks to support and sustain the engagement process.

4 Challenges and opportunities

Engaging and involving the community in open space planning can be a challenge due to conflicting interests and expectations of different stakeholders, as well as the constraints and uncertainties of the planning context. Quality and inclusiveness of the engagement process are also essential, from reaching out to underrepresented groups to providing clear and accessible information. Additionally, measuring and communicating the impact and outcomes of the engagement process, such as evaluating its effectiveness, efficiency, and equity, is key. Although these challenges present opportunities for learning and improvement, planners and community members must identify best practices and lessons learned for future projects.

5 Examples of open space engagement

To illustrate how open spaces can promote community engagement and participation in planning processes, here are some successful projects from different cities. For instance, the High Line in New York City was transformed into a linear park through a community-led initiative that included public consultations, design competitions, fundraising campaigns, and volunteer programs. Copenhagen's Superkilen is a multicultural urban park co-created by the local residents who contributed ideas, objects, and stories from their diverse backgrounds and cultures. The Participatory Budgeting Project in Porto Alegre allows citizens to decide how to allocate a portion of the municipal budget for public works such as open spaces through assemblies, councils, and votes. The Tactical Urbanism Project in Auckland uses low-cost and temporary interventions to improve public spaces with the collaboration of the community and support of the city council.

6 Tips for open space engagement

If you are interested in engaging and involving the community in open space planning, effective strategies, such as having a clear and shared vision, being flexible and adaptable to changing needs and preferences, utilizing various methods and tools, creating a sense of ownership and belonging, monitoring and evaluating the process, and sharing the results and impacts with stakeholders, can help planners and residents work together to create open spaces that meet their needs and aspirations. Open spaces can foster community engagement by providing opportunities for collaboration, communication, and co-creation. By overcoming challenges and learning from examples and tips, communities can be empowered to make meaningful contributions to the planning process.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?