Gets the People Goin
On class Tuesday, we talked about the role that citizens are able to play in the design decisions of a city. The idea that every citizen should have a right to control the built environment is idealistic. Not everyone has an understanding of what goes into the urban design, people want different things and it is unrealistic for everyone to get their way. But allowing people to have the opportunity to be involved and have a say is important. Giving people a voice through town council meetings and access to city officials and planners allows those who want to have a presence in the built to be heard. Incorporating architects into this process can help as well.
At the small firm I work for, my boss used to be on a board that seeks to hear out citizens about specific issues of the built environment. Along with city planners, engineers and land developers, he met once or twice a month to discuss current issues and advertised the meeting, inviting people to come. I think this is one possible way to involve citizens in the design of a city.
I agree that having every citizen involved in the design of the built environment would be idealistic while it is unrealistic for it to actually happen. It seems your boss may be onto something with the idea of open meetings, it could help with public projects that have the most impact on society interaction.
ReplyDeleteCommunication is one of the best tools that we as designers/architects equip. It has the power to explain to the public our intentions for the built environment which they experience everyday. And as we have talked about public meetings, forums, etc., communication allows us to create dialogue with the public and develop trust.
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