Creative Community Builders & Cristine ZHarris

Home Browse Search

5 Philosophy of Cultural Planning We believe it is important to outline our approach to planning upfront so that you understand our philosophy, our values and our client-‐partnership commitment. Our consultants use an asset-‐based approach in an inter-‐disciplinary context. We take careful stock of existing resources of all kinds and integrates community assessment, cultural planning, economic development, identity development, bridge-‐building, and capacity development. We believe each community has a unique history and character, as well as distinct culture and economic underpinnings, all of which must be understood and creatively built upon as it moves ahead. These include natural environment, infrastructure, demographics, geographic position, identity, economic drivers, cultural activities, and other things that make the city work. Community assets include the history, vision, good work, and investments made to date, as well as the identity, creativity, and talents of the entire community. Goodwill and civic capacity are key assets and as tangible and important as real estate, cash, and hard-‐working volunteers. While grounded in a community’s history, people, and resources, asset-‐based planning brings about a fresh and shared vision, and engages many people to move together towards that vision. We believe that building on, leveraging, and creatively making the most of what one has, is more productive and uplifting than identifying and laboring over what one doesn’t have, and results in a more satisfying and sustainable community. Ultimately the most important assets in any community are the people, leadership, and capacity to work together. Throughout the process we identity and engage leaders, assess the community’s strengths and challenges, and model good collaboration through the planning process itself. We work in an inclusive way respectful of community values and culture. In meetings with leaders, interviews, and public meetings we listen for what people value, what cultural and historic attributes invoke pride, and for issues of concern. We engage stakeholders in facilitated discussions to generate strategies that resonate widely. Our process represents a community organizing approach to planning so a to build understanding of shared intentions and find practical strategies to achieve them.