Democratizing the RECAST City

Democratizing the RECAST City

Our Reality: Every week, 1.4 million people move into cities

across the globe.

The Global Crisis

As the World Economic Forum has noted, “Cities are evolving faster than at any point in our history, putting them on the cusp of major transformation which, if managed well, could lead to unprecedented economic growth and prosperity for all, but if managed in an uncoordinated manner could drive social, economic and environmental decline.”

UrbanizationRising InequalityHousingAffordabilityClimate ChangeMobilityUrban Systems

Global Democratic Crisis

We need to change our orientation to the public

• Most of our biggest challenges as professionals relate to democracy & scale, not technical issues. Process vs. Math

The field has a 50-yr tradition to build upon…

The citizen architect

“To get to the future from where we are now, we must make room for, and nurture, what I call the “citizen architect.” What does this citizen architect look like? This person is committed to universal enfranchisement, and works to see that everyone in the community is given a meaningful stake in, and a part in directing, the future. The citizen architect is committed to seeing that, at the drafting table, the public’s hand exerts at least as much force as the developer’s or banker’s. The practice of architecture must no longer be seen as a luxury that only the wealthy can afford. The public must be a vital part of the process. Architecture is the most public of the arts. It should be collaborative.” - Ted Pappas, President of the AIA, 1988, at the Remaking Cities Conference

The Whitney Young Challenge

“you are not a profession that has distinguished itself by your social and civic contributions to the cause of civil rights, and I am sure this has not come to you as any shock. You are most

distinguished by your thunderous silence and your complete irrelevance.”

– Whitney Young, Jr., to the 1968 AIA Convention, Portland, Oregon

“The biggest problem is the understanding of what urban design is… the urban community has become lost in strategic planning, masterplanning, zoning and landscaping … All these have their own purposes, of course – but they don’t address the principal question, which is the relationship in a city between public space and buildable space. This is the art and science of building cities – and until we recover this basic knowledge, we will continue to make huge mistakes … Huge mistakes.” – Joan Clos, UNHABITAT

It’s a simple truth, and this is so important: The world needs design leadership, now more than ever. The world needs architects. Your time is

now.

Sao Paulo, Brazil

There is no top-down solution here

“Zoning, along with other NIMBY-inspired housing and land-use regulations, might be the great invisible problem of modern America.”

Federal Inadequacy

“Local leaders who need help no longer have any business traveling to Washington. The

nation’s capital has become the site of photo ops, pep talks, news conferences and little else. As Washington fades into the background, the

rest of the nation is engaging in a great experiment — can a country successfully invest in its future without the national government being a relevant player?” – Bruce Katz, 2014

Professionals vs. the Public

“This seems obvious enough—new development faces less neighborhood resistance when the neighborhood is included in the process from the git-go. But this means more than just holding public hearings, which are dominated by organized neighborhood groups as opposed to average residents.”

It doesn’t have to be that way…

“They had ideas that we will incorporate on the waterfront and the park. We give them credit for working hard and diligently on the site. We’re going to look at it strongly and we think the job will be a tremendous success.” –Donald Trump, 1990s, following an AIA project

Dialogue educates and informs

Jim Fishkin & the Science of P2

The real issue: The Expectations Gap

What Government/Organizations Want

What the Public Wants

Example – NYC World Trade Center

• Listening to the City brought more than 4,300 people together on July 2, 2002

• Key problem: Sponsoring agencies (Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and the Port Authority)wanted feedback on designs, and public wanted input on design. (Consult vs. Collaborate) Outcome: Public rejected all of existing designs and sent the entire initiative back to the drawing board.

• National League of Cities survey of U.S. Cities (2010) - 81

percent use public engagement processes "often" (60 percent) or "sometimes" (21 percent)

• American Planning Association (2012) – “More than 50 percent

want to personally be involved in community planning efforts,

including more than half of Democrats, Republicans, and

independents as well as majorities of urban, suburban, and rural

respondents.”

• Center for Public Interest Design (2013) – 75% of AIA members

think that architects should advocate for underrepresented

groups, engage local stakeholders in decision-making, and

conserve resources.

The Data: 3 Compelling Points

2014 Survey on IAP2 Spectrum

A Failure of Democracy

2014 International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Survey

Stakeholder Identification

Successful p2 includes identifying ALL of the stakeholders on the bell and involving them.

How Planning Conflicts Get Framed

The Fight for Urban Democracy

autocrats: Public Relations

• Sponsors decide on a course of action and then attempt to sell it to the public.

• people can feel manipulated and suspicious

• often hinders them from thinking effectively about problems and challenges because it avoids exposing them to the full dialogue.

• PR seeks “buy-in”

democrats: Public Participation

• Sponsors engage public on the front end in dialogue to help understand the pros and cons of different actions and seek input, consultation, involvement, collaboration

• Builds common understanding of the issue and decision by hearing and understanding all viewpoints and information

• P2 seeks meaningful involvement

“Paradoxically, what is most needed to achieve Jane Jacobs’s vision is to deploy a Robert Moses strategy—redesigning our streets quickly and decisively for an increasingly urban age, this time committed to accommodating population growth and offering residents more options for getting around without a car.”

The Highline: A Citizen Idea

Trickle-down Urbanism won’t work

“nothing for us without us. We want to know more about the governance of the cities, because we want to be part of

how cities are governed.” - Rose Molokoane, Slum/Shack Dwellers International/South Africa

Demand is rising everywhere

Fremont Troll, Seattle

When urban democracy expands, cities flourish. The placemaking outcomes – and the impact on people –

are nothing short of remarkable.

Playing the NIMBY card

We need to go back to our roots…our grassroots

Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are

created by everybody-- Jane Jacobs

Applying democratic methodology to city building

Grassroots Engagement:Making a Plan You Care About

Cheryl Morgan, FAIAEmerita Professor and Director Auburn University Urban Studio

PLACE

Matters

THISPLACEMatters

Get a

PLAN

“It’s not the will to win that matters… everyone

has that.”

“It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.”

– Paul “Bear” Bryant

Get a

PLAN

START WITH WHAT’s

GOOD

PLACE

Matters

Get a

PLAN

PLACE

Matters

Andrea takes notes

Lauren & Heather get feedback

Town Hall Meeting – Fairfield

5 minute

walk

What we build

Where we build

How we build

shows what we VALUE

What we build

Where we build

How we build

shows what we VALUE

THISPLACEMatters

What is a Design Assistance Team?The DAT program brings together multidisciplinary teams of professionals to work with community stakeholders and decision-makers in an intensive 3-5 day planning process.

Since 1967…Collectively the DAT program, a public service of the AIA, represents over 1000 professionals from more than 30 disciplines providing millions of dollars in professional pro bono services to more than 200 communities across the country, ultimately catalyzing over one billion dollars in new investment…

Objectivity

Multi-disciplinary Expertise

Community Participation

What distinguishes it?

• We are NOT:– Another Consultant Team

– A process to produce a planning document

• “Please don’t give us another plan. We have plenty – they all sit on the shelves. We need implementation strategies.” – Almost Every community

– Government-focused

– “Green”-focused

– Building-focused

• We ARE:– Public Service in the Public

Interest• “Consultants work for

somebody. Design Assistance Teams work for everybody.”

– Action-Oriented

– Community-focused

– Holistic, Customized, Integrated

“This opportunity for our community was a catalyst for action, implementation and improvement. A primary outcome has been that the process awakened community pride and inspired a ‘together we can’ attitude.” – Nathan West, Community Development Director

Portland Pearl District R/UDAT (1983)

“Viewed from today, it is hard to believe the sense of risk that the first developers in the Northwest Triangle felt as they challenged a complete lack of interest in downtown living when the R/UDAT came to town in 1983. The R/UDAT team had demonstrated sound opportunity. Daring developers, good planning and a favorable economy turned opportunity to reality and ushered in metropolitan living in the Pearl District on a scale unimaginable in 1983.” –

Paddy Tillett, FAIA

Santa Fe Railyard R/UDAT (1997)

“It was an experiment in deep democracy. That is the beauty of it –a true community effort, we were all in it together. It was not created through a hierarchy of controlling leadership.” – Steve Robinson, Santa Fe Railyard Community Corporation

Birmingham R/UDAT (2011)

“No one thought we could get this much done in just 3 years. We have done it together. We are a community on the move! Ain’t no stopping us now! I can’t wait to see what we will have done in ten years.” – Neighborhood Assc. Leader

PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING

CHICAGO

THEA CRUM

DIRECTOR OF NEIGHBORHOODS INITIATIVE

OUR MONEY, OUR DECISION

AGENDA

• What is participatory budgeting?

• PB Chicago

• How is PB different?

• Challenges and Successes

WHAT IS PARTICIPATORY

BUDGETING?

A democratic process in which

community members directly

decide how to spend part of a

public budget.

PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING IN

NORTH AMERICA

Sources: Map, Public Agenda, 2016

North America Data, Participatory Budgeting Project, 2017

• Broad Impacts Since

2009:

• 22 Cities

• 300,000 people engaged

• $238,000,000 public

dollars

• 1,530+ community

projects

WHAT IS PB CHICAGO?

PB Chicago is a collaborative effort of UIC

Great Cities Institute, the Participatory

Budgeting Project, and over 30 other

nonprofits and community organizations and

participating Aldermen and city agencies.

PB CHICAGO GOALS

EQUITY

INCLUSION

COMMUNITY &

COALITION BUILDING

SUSTAINABILITY

HOW DOES PB WORK IN CHICAGO?

1. Idea Collection

2. Proposal Development

3. Project Expos4. Community Vote

5. Implementation& Monitoring

of projects

PB CHICAGO BUDGETS

Three Different Budgets:

• Ward Capital

Infrastructure

• Tax Increment Financing

District

• Chicago Public Schools

WARD (DISTRICT) BASED PB PROCESSES

5 – Ald. Hairston, 2012-2013

10 – Ald. Garza, 2015-now

17 – Ald. D. Moore, 2015 - now

22 – Ald. Muñoz, 2013 - 2015

29 – Ald. Taliaferro, 2015 - now

31 – Ald. Santiago, 2015 - now

35 – Ald. Rosa, 2015 - now

36 – Ald. Villegas, 2015 - now

41 – Ald. Napolitano, 2016 - now

45 – Ald. Arena, 2012 – now

46 – Ald. Cappleman, 2012 - 2013

49 – Ald. J. Moore, 2009 - now109

41

8

4

7

3

6

5

19

18

34

39

38

27

11

14

23

28

21

1

20

29

45

25

13

12

17

2

22

24

16

37

40

36

47

32

50

30

42

26

33

31

15

43

35

46

49

44

48

PB in Chicago - Participating Wards

Previous PB Wards

PB Wards

WINNING PROJECTS

• Park improvements

• Pedestrian Safety Projects

• Street crossing lights & pedestrian

Islands

• Sidewalk improvements

• Street resurfacing

• Murals and artistic bike racks

• Community gardens

• Bike lanes and street lighting

• Improvements to public schools

• TIF: Culinary workforce training

program, green roofs, skate park

• School: Recreational/game lunch room

HOW IS PARTICIPATORY

BUDGETING DIFFERENT?

• Starts with a pot of money

• Projects are developed based upon the

allowable uses of that pot of money

• Projects are developed by community

members with support from experts and

vetted by the city before making the ballot

• Projects that win the community wide vote

are implemented

• Role of the expert(s) – facilitator, trainer,

educator, TA provider, evaluator

CHALLENGES

• Resources

• Uneven capacity

• Mismatch between

community identified

boundaries and

political boundaries

CHALLENGES

• Mismatch between

community needs and

restrictions/regulations on

public dollars

• Deep lack of trust around

public engagement

• Implementation challenges

SUCCESSES

•Each year, more youth,

people of color and low-

income individuals participate

in PB.

•PB leverages additional

resources and funding for

community projects.

•Active PB Participants report

a significant increase in

citizenship knowledge and

skills.

SUCCESSES

•PB creates spaces for innovation around

community organizing and public

engagement

•Youth engagement and PB in Schools

"Throughout the whole PB project I have learned that

you have to be a great leader, show respect and be

proud of whatever it is you're doing…An advice that I

would give to any students that are participating in the

project is to make good decisions and be mature and

to always remember YOUR VOICE MATTERS."

Youth School Participant

THANK YOU!

Thea Crum

Director of Neighborhoods Initiative

tcrum3@uic.edu

@UICGCI

@PB_Chicago

Facebook.com/PBChi

www.pbchicago.org