Community Planning
Events Seminar
How to organise Collaborative Planning and Urban Design Events


Local authorities, developers, landowners and community groups are increasingly organizing events where all interested parties work creatively together to plan a future for their communities. Common event types include community planning weekends,  stakeholder participation days and charrettes. This class will help you to decide what kind of event would be suitable for any specific situation and take you through a step by step process for organizing a successful event. It is designed for both professionals and non-professionals and can be used purely as a training exercise or "for real."

Seminar facilitator, Nick Wates, is an experienced trainer and the author of the first comprehensive international handbook on the subject: The Community Planning Event Manual; how to use collaborative planning and urban design events to improve your environment, published by Earthscan in 2008.

Sample Programme
10.45		Registration and coffee
11.15		Introduction
11.30		Community Planning events; how to organise a successful one.
		Slide show by Nick Wates looking at the benefits of organising events, the range of event types available and the steps involved in organising one. Questions and general discussion.
13.00		Lunch
14.00		Design your own community planning event
		Participants work both individually and in small groups devising the most suitable community planning event to suit either their own situation or an imaginary context. Presentation of event plans.
15.30		Tea and Next Steps
		Informal discussion on conclusions to be drawn and on further information required by participants.
16.30		Close
The seminar can also be run as a morning, afternoon or evening session. Alternatively it can be incorporated as part of a larger programme, perhaps including speakers presenting local case studies or other relevant material.