When you design, develop, build or renovate a project for a site, what do you really know about that specific location? The country we live in may be small, but the cultural differences in interpreting and designing public areas are vast. That means that spatial planning and implementation can vary considerably, depending on the location and the time available.
Learning about a site’s origins will help you to assess what a new development plan means for that area. For example, the village where I live drew up their own neighbourhood implementation plan. The villagers know their area like no other, their knowledge is invaluable and not found in statistics or municipal offices. That is illustrated by the energy labels provided by the residents and energy coaches, which proved to be a far more accurate estimate of our homes’ sustainability rating than the digital information published by Statistics Netherlands.
The story, or narrative, is an important factor in finding the best solutions. Yes, we should look at what is technically and rationally possible. But it is also about finding a solution that fits the cultural fabric of a community. Often a local government will focus exclusively on achieving its plans, preferably without receiving any objections. Public servants are often apprehensive or nervous about involving the residents in the decision-making process, while these are often the experience experts who can offer valuable perspectives on the area.
So how do you go about creating a narrative? Talk to all the stakeholders right from the start, not when the plan is ready for inspection. Discuss the assignment, the consequences, the concerns and expectations. You will find that people are eager to share their stories and the history of their area. They are not only prepared to share their knowledge but also to contribute creatively to solutions. Do make use of citizen’s initiatives and smart, socially inspired entrepreneurs. We did this in our village, by following a participatory process to draft our vision statement which as a result emphasised the residents’ wishes and ambitions for greater sustainable development. That was then worked out in more detail in the neighbourhood implementation plan I mention above.
Successful projects go beyond creating a support base and using the available expertise. Don’t rely exclusively on technical expertise but first and foremost, use your soft skills: talk, collect stories, recall memories and create the best solutions together.
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