603 - Citizen Development: How will People Awaken and Connect?

October 20, 2021

10:30AM - 11:30AM

Professional planners usually approach stakeholder and public engagement in projects as a necessary step to gain input on defined questions. This session is an opportunity to step back and reflect on what it will take to enable a more intentional citizen in society’s future. What are the levers? How can and will ordinary people gain a more holistic view, their own sense of the commons, and the energy and will to move to influence things within all the constraints we know well? What are the conditions and means for this awakening? What are the possibilities? 
 
A wide, cascading public movement is needed both to build true economic sustainability and manage technology at a time of its explosion, potential, and change. In this high-stakes context, many more people with sense-making and choice-making awareness are needed. Local, provincial, national, and global affairs will not turn around on planning expertise alone. Things are arguably perilous, and something needs to happen with the public. What is that and what will support it?
 
Highly interactive and small group discussion-based, this session starts with a presentation and set up of the challenge at the outset. Then, at the close, offers an outlook as to where this discussion can go.
 
Caveats: This is a generative conversation led by a non-planner who is interested in the creative energy of this community on the question, believing professional planners have a contribution to make to fostering civic dialogue and action in all sectors. This session is blue-sky and not immediately practical. The experience of the session may prove useful in terms of the forward framing of engagement work.

Speakers