In the past few months I have had the opportunity to introduce OS to planning processes in a local government authority in Adelaide, South Australia.
As a 'feeler' for this unfamiliar approach, the CEO sugggested that OS be used initially to find out what the residents of Marion, a city comprising several suburbs with greater metropolitan Adelaide with a population of about 80 000, wished to see happen in their proposed new cultural center. What emerged was a total surprise to the planners and architects. What they had deemed to be important, as expressed in their planning document, such as a library and art gallery, was not touched on in the community consultations based on OS. Instead, passion expressed by partipants was for elements which could be construed as 'the heart of the cultural center,' such as a performing arts facility, a meeting place for ideas, link with a local Aboriginal center, a drop in venue for young people, design of the external environs. The chief planner commented in a closing circle: 'This form of consultation has brought me into direct contact with the people who will be using the Center. I have learned much and have greatly enjoyed the experience.' Several major design changes were decided by the elected members within a fortnight of the OS sessions and the people of Marion notified accordingly and promptly. More details are contained in the article below. It was written by a journalist who came along as 'hired help' and found himself drawn to participate in the OS process. And what the CEO and others perhaps had not appreciated is that a culture of conversation has transformed not only a planning process and the assoctiated design of a major facility. It is now impacting substantially on the whole operations of the elected officials and of the council staff. What further magic will emerge? Alan Stewart Conversing with passion Discussions about the future of major community facilities and how they should be used can easily become shouting matches as different interest groups push and shove their views. In such instances little is achieved other than a sense that everyone has just wasted their time. There is no agreement or consensus, no positive "next moves", and consequently no progress. In seeking to finesse the design of Marion's proposed Cultural Centre, and to better understand how the community might wish to use it, Marion Council decided to take a more innovative, non-adversarial approach - using a consultant "conversationalist" as a facilitator. The result was two public "conversations" held at Marion Council in late February/early March, which are being followed by a series of Passion Café meetings where people can present their views, passionately if they wish, about the development of the Cultural Centre. Meetings facilitator Alan Stewart, who describes himself as a professional conversationalist, says the process he adopts creates a space in which people feel secure in talking openly - conversing - on what they feel passionately about and in telling their stories. For most of the 60 or so Marion residents who took part in the first two conversations, the experience was unconventional - but, by common consensus, it worked. Views that might have been fiercely expressed and just as fiercely contested in another environment were here considered calmly in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Perhaps more importantly, some of the more significant views expressed already have brought about major alterations to the Cultural Centre's layout. Far from being too little consultation too late in the piece, Marion Councillor Wolf Bierbaum, who attended the second of the meetings, says they were "quite timely" and had influenced the decision to include a 160 seat multi-purpose theatre in the centre. "We've learned that economic rationalism - that is, money - is not the only rationale for this development. We'd been limiting ourselves because of the budget, but that's not always the best way to go," he said. The lack of a venue to replace Pioneer Hall had been one of the most consistent and strongest concerns. But there were many others: will there be enough parking; will it be a place where kids will want to 'hang out'; will rain be captured from its huge roof; will it be welcoming; where are the outdoor gathering spaces; will there be enough shade? In short, will it truly provide a much-needed heart for the city - or will it just be a library, a café, some meeting rooms, and not much more? The relaxed, non-aggressive nature of the meetings encouraged people to speak from their hearts, with passion. There to listen, and take part, were senior council officers, planners and administrators, who were there, frankly, because they wanted to be. "The council should not be seen as separate from the community," said Acting CEO Terry Bruun, who introduced the meeting. "It must be representative of the community." Councils all over Adelaide try hard to communicate with their residents, usually with only limited success. Marion has sought a new path inspired by the noted American economist and futurist Robert Theobald, who died soon after visiting Australia late last year. Theobald was a champion of the Reworking Tomorrow movement which, in the light of new social, political and economic realities, challenges traditional structures put into place by decision-makers. The idea of consulting with the community in a conversational context is aimed at making people more confident in expressing what they feel strongly about, more positive, and creating a new "collective intelligence" on which council can draw. "I really love the collective wisdom that comes out, and the triggers that provoke even more thought," says Wolf Bierbaum. He was reinforced by Marion Council's cultural planner Don Chapman, who told one of the meetings: "The community is not only smarter than council employees think, you're smarter than we can think. It's marvellous how lateral you can be. The solutions are all there." Although a series of Passion Café's has been organised to continue this important community conversation, it is hoped that the Cultural Centre itself will become a venue for ongoing converse on community issues, and that the process will step further into the community at more local levels.
