The web is chock-full of community planning tools, resources, websites, and guides. The biggest challenge sometimes seems to be sorting through them all to find the resources that are truly valuable. Here are our picks for three comprehensive guides and toolkits that every community ought to bookmark. They’ll take you through the whole process of building stronger, more engaged communities, from communicating with the public to making sound decisions and then taking action.
This guide is part of a collection of tools available at conservationtools.org. Communities everywhere are embarking on “visioning” processes these days, using a wide range of engagement tools and activities to bring citizens into the conversation and develop a vision for the community’s future. This visioning guide details the basic concept of visioning and the ingredients required for success, and then helps you choose from a menu of tools and methods to make it happen.
Read more about ConservationTools.org >>
This toolkit from the Canadian Rural Partnership is continuously updated with case studies and recommendations submitted by actual communities, based on what truly works. While the content is geared towards rural Canadian communities, it’s easily transferable to more urban areas across North America and beyond. The toolkit includes a wide range of tools and methods (from “dotmocracy” to graphic recorders) that can help your community deeply explore issues and come to consensus.
Find out more about the Decision Making Toolkit >>
If your community is ready to take action on important issues like housing, enhancing local character, open government, economic development, or building community, the Implementation Guide Series is the perfect place to start. Dig in here for a quick primer on the issues to look out for, plus pages of examples, case studies, tools and resources for each issue.
Find out more about the Implementation Guide Series >>
The importance of communication is often overlooked in planning, but it should be a critical part of every process. This resource is actually a three-fer. Cause Communications offers a Communications Toolkit for non-profits that’ll guide you through the minefield of media relations, online strategy, publication design, outreach, and more. While it’s geared toward nonprofits, the content readily applies to community efforts and municipalities. Two other short guides, “Why Bad Ads Happen to Good Causes” and “Why Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes” will show you why PowerPoints and marketing pitches often look so terrible, and how you can easily avoid the pitfalls.
Learn more about the Cause Communications Toolkit at PlanItX >>
Read more about the arts and planning in the Planning Tool Exchange and add your own thoughts and examples!
Talk to us! We’d love to hear your stories and perspectives on engaging community planning. Or send us your post ideas and questions -- there are many ways to get involved.
|
|
|
|
|
|
