Dear Chris
Thank you for your request and indeed, I have used OST with small (and soon
to be larger!)community planning processes - Birgitt Williams (nee Bolton)
and I collaborate often where I, as a landscape architect specializing in
sacred spaces and therapeutic landscapes deals with the results and design
process and Birgitt as the keeper of OST and all of things related to the
"people" process. I have found in my practice that I will no longer plan
large scale projects without this.
Last June, Birgitt and I have made a paper presentation at the Canadian
Institute of Planners conference and will be published in an upcoming issue
of Plan Canada. My background has been in both planning and landscape
architecture - for example the largest project I have ever worked on is a
city for 100,000 people to small gardens for private clients. It has been my
experience that the people piece is critical to outcomes (funny how that
works!!) and I now stand by OST and process facilitation as part of all my
projects as Spirit is manifest and captures the passion and creativity of
who (singular or group) I am designing for.
In our expereince, we have learned is that this process can be integrated
into the governing public processes and makes them more effective - one of
the examples in public planning is the hardest part is for politicians to
trust the process....they are often frightenened by the prospect of "once
the toboggan is going down the hill there is no changing the direction or
hill"(to quote Birgitt!).
Chris, if you are still curious, send me your personal email and I will
forward an attachment to you directly with some other pieces. Take care and
great work out there! and of course - do ask Birgitt in person while she out
there with her OST training at the end of this month. Virginia
-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu]On Behalf Of Chris
Corrigan
Sent: February 7, 2000 3:52 AM
To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu
Subject: Community Planning and OS
Has anybody had much experience using OS for planning in small
communities?
I've had a couple of requests to Open the Space for some First Nations
here who want to use it for community planning proceses. I haven't used
it in formal community planning processes, but I know others have. So I
thought I'd consult the intellegent body electric for some
perspective....
How have you found it? What are the advantages and pitfalls of using OS
in this way? I can think of a few of the obvious ones, but what little
nuggets have folks unearthed? What has the fit been like between OS and
the rather formal requirements imposed by most community planning
processes?
Curiously yours,
Chris
--
CHRIS CORRIGAN
108-1035 Pacific Street
Vancouver BC
V6E 4G7
Phone: 604.683.3080
Fax: 604.683-3036
