As the lead of the CPD Committee under the Royal Town Planning Institute’s London Board, Dr Roudaina Alkhani was honoured to co-curate and co-chair the CPD event, Innovative Community Engagement in Planning Sustainable Places, held at DP9 Limited on 23 October. The event went amazingly well with a great flow of reflection and an incredible exchange of expertise. It is one in a series of CPDs under the CPD Committee addressing crucial issues in planning.
The discussion offered deep insights into the crucial role of communities and the opportunities that engagement brings for the sustainable adaptability and growth of cities.
Dr Roudaina Alkhani was honoured to co-curate and co-chair this event with Lucy Bullivant, PhD Hon FRIBA.
The event hosted expert speakers on board, bringing in their insights generously:
- Gianluca Rizzo, Managing Director, Brixton Business Improvement District
- Imogen Thompson, Executive Director, Urban Land Institute
- Pippa Gueterbock, Head of Placemaking, London Borough of Haringey
- Isabelle Price, Senior Associate Director, Kanda Consulting
The discussion emphasised:
- The social, economic & environmental value of community engagement, including, for example, the role of local businesses in strengthening communities & local economies, which we saw through the Brixton example (Gianluca Rizzo)
- Meaningful engagement takes time, builds on trust and relationships (Gianluca Rizzo), as well as empathy, transparency, and co-creation (Imogen Thompson).
- The importance of engaging with underrepresented community groups, e.g young people, and outreach methods that build on curiosity (Pippa Gueterbock).
- The power of early engagement before plans are shaped, and valid narratives (Imogen Thompson), and the value of blending qualitative & quantitative methods for richer understanding (Imogen Thompson, Isabelle Price)
- The need to secure community benefits within viability constraints, and demonstrate to developers and funders how inclusive engagement creates mutual benefit
- The emerging opportunities, e.g. related to AI in supporting engagement processes within local authorities and democratising, but the need to mitigate risks around data safety and preserve human interaction as a foundation for trust (Isabelle Price)
- The opportunity to connect initiatives and strengthen community engagement within the context of planning reforms and decision-making at strategic and local levels.
- The importance of exploring the role of finances
The event was beautifully supported by RTPI colleagues: Sarah Woodford, Head of English Regions; Emily Russell, Regional Manager, London, and the RTPI London Board.
It was generously hosted by DP9, and with the support of Tiffany Hepher, Head of Social Value & Director Rich Foot, who offered the participants a warm welcome.
Image credit: Emily Russel, RTPI