Steven Ames Community visioning expert from Bend, Oregon - this is part one of a three part masterclass:
Part One: Building Local Vision
Part Two: Accelerating Envisioned Change
Part Three: Stewarding Civic Engagement
13. American context for planning
Strong local governments (cities, counties)
Direct citizen participation in local governance
Non-partisan local political tradition
Strong grassroots community involvement
Local political activism
14. Australian context for planning
Strong state government involvement in localities
Corporate-style local governance structures
More limited grassroots community involvement
Strong tradition of local “consultation”
Rapid evolution toward local “engagement”
15. Some caveats
All planning is place and culture specific
Planning and engagement continually evolve
Flexibility/adaptability are essential
Best practice involves risk and creativity
High tech does not replace high touch
16. Building Local Vision
“If you don‟t know where you‟re going, you
might end up someplace else.” – Yogi Berra
17. Societal change and the need for strategic vision
What is strategic vision? (Oregon Model)
Best practice visioning (U.S. and Australia)
Case study in community visioning (Bend 2030)
Lessons and tools
What I‟d like to talk about…
18. Our world is changing
Population growth, demographic shifts, migration
Environmental stresses and resource depletion
Economic globalisation and restructuring
Scientific and technological advances
Information and telecommunication
Social and cultural shifts
19. Local communities need vision
All global trends have local impacts
Local communities are front line of change
Local authorities often caught in reactive mode
Strategic vision is indicated
Most powerful vision grounded in community
20. What is strategic vision?
Tracking emerging trends & issues
Exploring alternative scenarios or strategies
Charting a preferred scenario (vision)
Putting vision into action
Measuring progress over time
21. What is visioning?
A process through which a local council and community
creates a strategic vision – and begin to make it happen.
A strategic framework for other municipal
plans, policies, decisions and investments.
25. Visioning in Oregon
Strong statewide community-based planning system
Focus on land use, growth and development
Planning for growth – but not for change
Wanted: more comprehensive view of planning
‘Visioning’ was the response
27. Five driving questions
Where are we now?
Where are we going?
Where do we want to be?
How do we get there?
Are we getting there?
28. Five key activities
Where are we now? 4 Community Profile
Where are we going? 4 Trends Analysis
Where do we want to be? 4 Vision Statement
How do we get there? 4 Action Plan
Are we getting there? 4 Targets, Measures
32. Visioning benefits…
Brings community together in positive context
Facilitates deeper understanding of change
Creates sense of direction
Develops concrete goals & strategies
Promotes plan of action
33. Second order benefits…
Enriches citizen engagement
Strengthens community cohesion
Promotes community partnerships
Catalyses community change
Fosters relationship and leadership
42. Short history of Bend
Explorers, trappers, white settlement (1800s)
Railroads, lumber mills, wood products (1900s)
Recreation and tourism (1950s)
Lifestyle-driven real estate boom (1990-2000s)
Economic collapse (2006-07)
46. Engagement „bending‟ the rules
Council-led, community-owned process
Public-private sponsors
Incorporation of survey research & QDA
Sophisticated branding and marketing
Website and internet access