You're working on urban planning in underserved neighborhoods. How can you engage residents effectively?

Across the board within a community you are going to encounter skepticism when it comes to planning efforts because new plans always invoked concerns associated with change. However, in underserved areas you need to accept and understand that skepticism is going to be very deep seeded and possibly hostile reflected in the fact they have been ignored. Facing this reality means you will need multiple meetings at different times and different locations within the affected areas, and you will need to consider offering unique support including transportation (if not in walking distance), food, etc. And, always let the attendees speak first and tell you what they see as the needs.

In my experience, engaging with underserved communities requires more than just random surveys. These communities face numerous unresolved problems and are often wary of outsiders due to negative past interactions with politicians and officials. Building trust and understanding their issues requires multiple visits and genuine connections. Nandasena Rathnapala exemplified this by immersing himself in the beggar community in Sri Lanka. By living among them, he gathered in-depth insights into their lives and social dynamics, proving this approach to be far more effective than traditional methods.

If I share about my experience and views, one needs to actually live and spend time in the area where planning is to be done and this is not like a survey considering the small sample size. To build trust, the best way is to live with the people and stay in area for as long as you can to understand their habits, demands, necessity, problems and issues, etc.

While preparing Development Plan here in Maharashtra, we conduct stakeholder meeting while preparing PLU with local people, stakeholders, technocrats and local leaders. This is the best way to get insights about the area from the people who will be like end beneficiaries of the Development Plan. Similar activity can be encouraged while planning neighborhood, considering the demands and actual necessity from the people who will be staying in the area. Also the planning should be done considering the religious and economic aspects of the area for which planning is to be done.

In my experience, after building trust, it is crucial to demonstrate how their inputs are being used in the development plan. Simply collecting their feedback without incorporating it is ineffective and undermines trust. While we understand the context from an urban planning perspective, the residents have firsthand experience and often provide the best ideas and suggestions. In my meetings with them, I found their insights to be invaluable and essential for creating effective plans. This collaborative approach ensures that their voices are heard and respected.

One of the mistakes too often made when it comes to community engagement is a lack of follow through. The primary purpose and rationale for engagement whether it is stakeholders or the community as a whole is establishing credibility for you and the planning project as being of value to those who may be affected by it. Once the door has been open from initial meetings and forums to establish a trusting relationship with those affected it becomes equally important to maintain such ties by undertaking ongoing engagement throughout the planning process with multiple meetings and forms of communications. The purpose of such ongoing outreach is to keep everyone updated and aware of project progress and any needed changes.

Engaging residents effectively in underserved neighborhoods during urban planning involves transparent communication, active listening, and inclusive methods like workshops and surveys. Educate residents on planning processes, collaborate with local leaders and organizations, and prioritize community needs. Use digital platforms for ongoing updates and feedback. By fostering trust, inclusivity, and transparency, urban planners empower residents to co-create solutions that enhance their community's well-being and future.