Striking a Balance: Toronto and Public Planning Consultations
March 15 2024
Some thoughts after attending the Ward 2 Bike Lane consultation held at ECI on the evening of February 28, 2024. Many of you saw the social media coverage of the event and as someone who attended with a background in local road safety advocacy, it was hard to take in. No matter what side of an issue you are on, at a city consultation everyone who takes time out of their busy day should be treated with respect to maintain an informative and orderly meeting. No such thing like that happened that evening, there was yelling and heckling with no real discussion ever conducted. This post is in retrospect of that meeting.
In the complex landscape of Toronto's planning discussions, the presence of city councillors can sometimes add fuel to the fire of political contention. While it's essential for councillors to understand their constituents' concerns, their involvement can sometimes tip the scales, especially when certain issues are exploited for political gain at the expense of broader community interests.
Consider a scenario where a councillor advocates against bike lanes in a neighborhood. Rather than fostering a collective dialogue, they may prioritize inciting controversy among a select group while disregarding broader road safety considerations. This approach not only polarizes the discussion but also sidelines crucial issues that affect the entire community.
Undoubtedly, councillors play a vital role in understanding and representing their constituents. However, there must be a closer look of their involvement in planning discussions. While they should remain present to take in the insights and perspectives, I personally believe that they need to refrain from dominating the discourse with partisan agendas.
Instead, fostering a more inclusive and balanced discussion necessitates a reevaluation of councillor participation. By allowing our elected officials to engage as listeners rather than provocateurs, we can ensure that planning decisions are made with a comprehensive understanding of community needs and aspirations. Everyone needs to feel safe to voice their thoughts and opinions, this is what helps to make neighbourhoods work for everyone living in them and a community is not just for a select few.
In essence, striking this delicate balance is paramount to advancing equitable and informed planning decisions in Toronto. By reducing political theater and prioritizing genuine community engagement, we can pave the way for a more cohesive and prosperous city that reflects the diverse voices and interests of its inhabitants.
The City of Toronto is currently consulting with the public on how it proceeds with consultations and you can find more information here on how to take part:
Enhancing Public Consultations: Lets think outside the box!
Let's take a look into a few unique steps the city could take to one day improve these crucial forums for community engagement.
Diversify Engagement Methods: Recognizing that not all residents can attend in-person meetings, the city should expand its outreach efforts to include online platforms, surveys, and community workshops. This ensures broader participation and captures diverse perspectives beyond those who can physically attend meetings.
Mobile Consultation Units: Deploy mobile consultation units equipped with interactive displays, model replicas, and knowledgeable staff to various neighborhoods. These units can serve as pop-up consultation centers, bringing the conversation directly to communities and increasing accessibility for residents who may face barriers to attending centralized meetings.
Artistic Collaborations: Partner with local artists and creative professionals to incorporate artistic elements into public consultations. This could include community art installations, interactive murals, or participatory workshops that use art as a medium for dialogue and expression. Artistic collaborations add a creative dimension to consultations, attracting diverse participants and fostering imaginative approaches to urban planning.
Gamification: Introduce elements into consultation processes to make them more engaging and interactive. This could involve designing online platforms or mobile apps that use gaming principles, such as points, challenges, and rewards, to add an incentive for participation, educate residents, and solicit feedback in a playful and accessible manner.
Community Storytelling Events: Organize storytelling events where residents can share personal narratives, memories, and aspirations related to their neighborhoods. These events provide a platform for residents to connect on a human level, fostering empathy, understanding, and community cohesion. Storytelling can also uncover valuable insights into the social, cultural, and historical significance of local spaces, enriching the planning process with lived experiences.
Equitable Representation: Ensure that consultations reflect the demographic diversity of the community. Actively engage marginalized groups to ensure that their voices are heard and their concerns addressed.
Multilingual Consultations: Offer consultations in multiple languages to accommodate Toronto's diverse linguistic landscape, especially in neighbourhoods that have common languages spoken by many in the community. Make a point to provide translation services, multilingual materials, and interpretation support to ensure that non-English-speaking residents across the city can fully participate and contribute their perspectives. Multilingual consultations promote inclusiveness and empower all residents to engage in the planning process, regardless of language barriers.
Community Partnerships: Collaborate with local organizations, community groups, and grassroots initiatives to amplify outreach efforts and facilitate community-led consultations. These partnerships leverage existing networks and cultural competencies to reach undeserved communities and foster trust.
Educational Resources: Provide accessible resources and educational materials to help residents understand planning processes, terminology, and potential impacts. Empowering residents with knowledge enables informed participation and enhances the quality of discussions.
Youth Engagement Initiatives: Develop targeted initiatives to engage youth in planning consultations, recognizing them as stakeholders with unique perspectives and needs. This could involve creating youth advisory councils, organizing youth-led workshops and design exchanges. By involving young residents in the decision-making process, cities can cultivate future civic leaders and ensure that planning decisions reflect inter-generational priorities.
These innovative approaches could one day complement traditional consultation methods, enriching the planning process with creativity, accessibility, and community empowerment. By embracing diverse strategies tailored to the unique needs and preferences of Toronto's residents, the city can foster a culture of inclusive and participatory urban governance. While not everyone is ever going to fully participate, we could at least have some fun to try to get more voices to take part in these important conversations!
Excellent ideas!