NIMBY psychology comes to Harvard — from Australia! February was an exciting month for me. I spent it teaching in the Graduate School of Design (GSD) at Harvard University and giving lectures and classes at MIT and Tufts University. It was exceptionally cold for a person who lives in the sub-tropics. A… Continue reading NIMBY psychology at Harvard University February 2013
Tag: Dr Wendy Sarkissian
Please Spare Manitoba!
Manitoba in the early days What now? I never thought I’d see the day! One of the best examples of medium-density housing in Australia is up for redevelopment! How can this be? Where is our memory? Is new always better? Don’t we know what’s good when we see it?… Continue reading Please Spare Manitoba!
Banging on about Bang the Table
A couple of times recently, I’ve heard Australians complain about the Australian online engagement firm, Bang the Table (BTT) (see https://bangthetable.com/). I’ve done their training and greatly admire their work, which I see as directly complementary to my more “hands-on” approaches. I decided it was time to sort things out in my own… Continue reading Banging on about Bang the Table
Social Planner’s Distress Call: The NBN Information Session in Nimbin
The inappropriate dress and exposed breasts of the woman from Ericsson were the best (or the worst, depending on your perspective) features of the NBN Information Session in Nimbin Town Hall today. Oh dear. Social Planner’s Distress Call. Again. It’s been a hard week and it’s only Monday. … Continue reading Social Planner’s Distress Call: The NBN Information Session in Nimbin
NIMBY Psychology: What Can a Planner Do?
Last night we had a lively discussion in Brisbane hosted by the Planning Institute, Queensland Branch. Stephanie Wyeth, a highly experienced engagement practitioner and Director of Urbis, Queensland, and I spoke about the practical aspects of community engagement in a well-attended “How-To” seminar. I spoke about NIMBY Psychology: What Can a Planner… Continue reading NIMBY Psychology: What Can a Planner Do?
Wendy’s Blog: Bringing Planning to Life
Wendy’s Blog: Bringing Planning to Life This is my blog as an independent planner. My aim is to bring planning to life. And en route, to bring life to planning. It has four components: Professional posts Personal posts Posts from… Continue reading Wendy’s Blog: Bringing Planning to Life
Vancouver’s EcoDensity Policy: Reflections on Australian Planning’s Cultural Cringe and Cultural Imperialism
Australia‘s “cultural cringe” One of the challenges of being a “migrant” in Australia is understanding the “cultural cringe” that infects so much of Australian life. I’ve lived and worked here for 45 years and it still puzzles me. For those not familiar with it, it is an internalised inferiority complex that causes us to… Continue reading Vancouver’s EcoDensity Policy: Reflections on Australian Planning’s Cultural Cringe and Cultural Imperialism
Activism in Planning in Australia: A Delicate Balancing Act
I’m celebrating: 2013 was a great year for community activism in planning. In New South Wales, concerted action by many forces, including the Better Planning Network (https://betterplanningnetwork.good.do/nsw/fund-the-better-planning-network-in-2014/), resulted in the State Government withdrawing the contentious and flawed proposed state planning legislation. The Better Planning Network has more than 430 community groups and many… Continue reading Activism in Planning in Australia: A Delicate Balancing Act
Toderian’s 10 Lessons in More Engaging Citizen Engagement”: A confused response
“Engagement Done Well” In a few days, Vancouver planner Brent Toderian will be speaking in Sydney, where last year he was training planning bureaucrats in the NSW State Government in community engagement. His conference topic is “Density Done Well”. My topic in the preceding session was “Engagement Done Well”, making the point that density done… Continue reading Toderian’s 10 Lessons in More Engaging Citizen Engagement”: A confused response
Bentley CSG Blockade: You Can’t Just Take My Dreams Away
Nimbin, 28 April 2014 It was bucketing rain at dawn at the Bentley Blockade this morning. The blockade against unconventional gas mining. No guitars or drums because of the rain. There were lots of people there but not a lot were singing. Then, magically, about 5 am, a woman with a strong,… Continue reading Bentley CSG Blockade: You Can’t Just Take My Dreams Away
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