Planning for Encounter & Dialogue

Participants will learn how thoughtfully facilitated dialogue across different perspectives can enhance the work of professional planners.  It will help planners distinguish between collecting public input and asking those with competing interests to work on finding common ground and consensus. 

While the planning practice continues to strive for greater inclusivity and diversity within the profession, planners often find themselves caught within systems of divisive politics that result in divisive  planning and zoning practices. A major component of this disconnect is the set of processes and practices of receiving community input from individual members of the public community members alongside separate focus groups among like-minded interest stakeholder groups (such as neighborhood associations, developers, business leaders, etc.).  This paradigm does not lead to meaningful dialogue across differences, increase understanding and consensus nor facilitate conflict resolution between groups.  But what if the role of planner and the planning process included facilitating an open dialogue among disagreeing parties with the goals of listening, attempting to understand one another, and finding common ground? What would that look like within the planning process and could it be successful? Under what planning scenarios could urban planners themselves facilitate dialogue and when would it be best to bring in dispute resolution professionals? What tools and trainings would planners need in order to lead and facilitate this type of dialogue?  Drawing upon recent community dialogue experiences on race relations, as well as the writings of Pope Francis on societal openness, encounter and dialogue, this session is meant to challenge and empower professional planners to go beyond being the mere receivers of public input to being active participants in fostering peace, understanding and resolution within the planning process.