Creative Community Planning – Wendy Sarkissian PhD

Creative Community Planning: Transformative Engagement Methods for Working at the Edge

by Wendy Sarkissian PhD and Dianna Hurford with Christine Wenman (April 2010).

The inspirational new book presents theory, principles, case studies and discussion and explores “The Edge” of creative community planning and engagement.

Creative Community Planning provides clear access to emerging innovations in artistic, narrative, embodied and technological methods, exploring the frontiers of community engagement and empowerment practice within a fresh sustainability framework.

Academics, professionals and community members increasingly acknowledge that multiple perspectives enrich planning outcomes. Further we know that the engagement process itself can create imaginative forums and spaces that can nurture understanding and empathy for ourselves and our environments.

Reflecting on the wide continuum of participatory practice, we discuss the work of planning theorists, researchers and practitioners engaging a diversity of people living in diverse and ever changing communities.

We discuss how engagement practices are enhanced using practices such as visioning and participatory research processes, poetry, theatre, film, websites and exercises to access the creative ideas of all ages, including children and young people.

The style and methods in this book offer multiple points for both practice and dialogue, ideal for academics, practitioners, students and instructors in all forms of planning, social research, participatory action research, community cultural development and community engagement.

Each chapter begins with a poem by Dianna Hurford.