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Center for Cities & Schools

Located at the University of California-Berkeley, CC&S is an interdisciplinary research center, promoting high quality education as an essential component of urban and metropolitan vitality to create equitable, healthy, and sustainable cities and schools for all. As a leader in connecting urban policy and public education, CC&S cultivates systems-change by connecting siloed sectors, engaging students and schools in community change, and cultivating informed to leverage school and community improvement.

Authors

Deborah McKoy, Ariel Bierbaum, April Suwalsky, Erica Boas, and Alissa Kronovet

Acknowledgements

The Y-PLAN Toolkit is a culmination of ten years of Y-PLAN in action; it is the collective effort of many. While it would be impossible to recognize individually all the hands, hearts, and minds that have gone into the creation of this work, we would like to first and foremost acknowledge the near one thousand Y-PLAN youth, dozens of UC Berkeley mentors and amazing educators who have piloted and inspired most of what you see in this book. Jeff Vincent and Susan Slingluff also contributed insights, lessons, and structures to the Y-PLAN projects over the years. This toolkit could not have come about without their help.

© 2010 Center for Cities & Schools

All rights reserved. Data and content from this publication may not be cited or reproduced without attribution. For more information, please contact the Center for Cities & Schools at (510) 642-1628.

http://citiesandschools.berkeley.edu/

Con

tents

Table of

Organization of the Handbook

Part I. Y-PLAN Overview

a) History and Background of Y-PLAN

b) Goals, Theory of Change and Core Principles of Y-PLAN

c) How to Use this Toolkit

Part II. Modules

The portfolio of activity plans is divided into 5 Modules to assist you in staying on track with your project and making sure that the young people understand what they have done and how it relates to both their education and broader community.

Module 1: Start Up

Module 2: Making Sense of the City

Module 3: Into Action

Module 4: Going Public

Module 5: Looking Forward, Looking Back

Part III. Resources

In this section we provide articles about Y-PLAN, links to resources on the internet, and contact information for potential adult allies.

For more information on the complete Y-PLAN methodology and tools, visit http://citiesandschools.berkeley.edu/.

Y-PLAN Activity Handbook Beta Version 2.0 Part I. Y-PLAN Overview 2

Part I. Y-PLAN Overview

(A) History & Background Operating out of the University of California, Berkeley Center for Cities & Schools, Y-PLAN (Youth—Plan, Learn, Act, Now!) is a model for youth civic engagement in city planning that uses urban space slated for redevelopment as a catalyst for community revitalization and education reform. Y-PLAN is also a form of Social Enterprise for Learning (SEfL) project methodology developed by Deborah McKoy and David Stern at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education. SEfLs are school-based community-driven enterprises in which young people identify a need in the community and develop a product or specific service to address that need.

Traditionally, Y-PLAN partners graduate and undergraduate student mentors, high school young people, government agencies, private interests, and other community members who work together on a real-world planning or community development problem. This handbook is designed to provide adult allies and other interested participants with resources to develop and implement Y-PLAN initiatives.

The Y-PLAN began in 1999 as an interdisciplinary course between the Department of City and Regional Planning and the Graduate School of Education. This work builds on a long tradition of UC students reaching outside the university walls to engage with young people, schools, and the communities in which they live.

Why Urban Planning? The Y-PLAN situates itself in the urban planning field for several unique reasons:

• Planning projects are authentic, inquiry-based learning opportunities that have a real need for community engagement – especially that which values a youth perspective.

• City planning initiatives provide important professional context and give a professional trajectory to high school young people.

• Planning offers excellent vehicles to connecting cities, schools, and communities.


(B) Goal, Theory of Change & Core Principles

The Goal of Y-PLAN

The goal of the Y-PLAN is not only to engage schools and young people in community development projects, but also to foster learning experiences for all participants. The name Y-PLAN is a play on words – why plan? Why planning? Why include youth in planning? The Y-PLAN experience shows that youth can effectively participate in the development of public buildings and spaces. Unencumbered by previous models or traditional views of “how things are done,” young people use their intimate knowledge of the environment to provide innovative and positive suggestions. The Y-PLAN also challenges professional planners to explain what they do in terms youth will understand. Uniting young people with local elected officials, private and nonprofit housing developers, and others seeking to improve their communities forms what Lave and Wenger (1991) call “a community of practice.”

Theory of Change

There are three central conditions that lead to successful youth participation in community revitalization via Y-PLAN:

1. Authentic problems engage diverse stakeholders and foster a “community of practice” that includes local elected officials, government agencies, planners, neighborhood residents, and young people;

2. Adults share decision making with young people, valuing their input and giving them a noticeable role in outcomes; and

3. Projects build individual and institutional success that together creates equitable, healthy, and sustainable communities.

Together these three conditions constitute a framework and a theory of change for involving young people and adult allies in community revitalization and social change.


5 Core Principles of Y-PLAN

The fields of urban planning and education cover a wide range of theories and foundational principles. Now entering its 10th year, Y-PLAN builds on both of these disciplines and focuses primarily on five core principles that together serve as a building block for Y-PLAN lessons and projects.

1. “Community of Practice”

Everyone involved in the Y-PLAN become participants in various community-based planning/community development projects. In a “community of practice,” participants learn from each other and see how their perspectives differ while recognizing that everyone contributes something of importance and value to the process. The Y-PLAN is structured to bring out the “expertise” in everyone, from developer to city official to high school youth and principals. Thus, the participants all contribute their various expertise to enhance understanding of the issues and to use this knowledge with activity for the community benefit.

2. Connectivity

How do people and places connect to one another? The built environment connects people to other people as it connects people to buildings. In urban planning, one must consider the ways in which public space encourages or discourages such relationships.

3. “Eyes on the Street”

Jane Jacobs coined this term in her 1961 book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. “Eyes on the street” refers to the need for hustle and bustle in public spaces to ensure safety made possible by “the natural proprietors of the street.” A vibrant space will attract people to it, and active places are safer and more welcoming for people of all ages.

4. People vs. Place

Engaging in analysis of and developing proposals for urban environments requires examination of both the people that use these spaces and the design of these places. While city planning often focuses on the “bricks and mortar” construction of houses, streets, and parks, we must balance that with investments in social infrastructure, such as community programs, education, and jobs. Striking a balance between


investing in the physical places and the social relationships is critical to create vibrant cities.

5. Place Memory

The concept of place memory reveals the reciprocal effects of place and identity. Developed by Dolores Hayden, this concept tells us that people’s identity is deeply rooted in places in which we live, work, and play. Thus, places hold “memory” of its inhabitants. Yet, rarely are individual and community identities and connections to place made explicit and seen as a resource when in planning for the transformation of public places.


(C) How to Use this Toolkit

Who uses this toolkit?

As stated, this toolkit is designed to provide participants and partners in Y-PLAN initiatives with a portfolio of teaching resources to be adapted to local circumstances and contexts. We have taken steps to ensure readability and usability for educators, clients, and other stakeholders interested in developing Y-PLAN types of collaborative initiatives.

How should this toolkit be used?

We have created this handbook to facilitate ease of implementation and to provide a clear trajectory for Y-PLAN project partnerships. It is intended to give insight into an urban planning project “big picture” focus as it breaks down the overarching objectives into smaller goals. This handbook and a Y-PLAN project can happen over one week, 12 weeks, a year, or longer! Therefore, please adjust according to your local context, orienting yourself to the lessons provided well before you set about implementing them. We do, in addition, recognize that all communities have variable circumstances, and we encourage educators and adult ally partners to adapt their work to the local context and goals.

Please familiarize yourself with the entire handbook BEFORE embarking on your project, and keep abreast of upcoming activities. Please take special note of the Preparations section before embarking on your project.


Building Equitable, Healthy, and Sustainable Communities

The Y-PLAN Mapping Into Action Strategy and Tools

Module 1: Start Up

Goals Activities

1.1 Get to know each other Ice Breaker - Human Bingo

1.2 Learn about the Y-PLAN framework and how to engage urban planning for community development and social change

Framing the Issue and/or Client Cultivation

1.3 Identify strengths and cultivate a community of practice

Snowball

1.4 Define project landmarks and create a road map for work

Y-PLAN Road Map

1.5 Reflect and wrap-up Assessment - Letters Between Client and Youth Participants

Module 2: Making Sense of the City

Goals Activities

2.1 Consider relationships between people and places through cognitive mapping

Mapping Notions We Hold

2.2 Enhance geographic literacy through mapping activities; Collect data; Observe the project area in relation to the Client Questions

Mapping People, Places, and Power - Neighborhood Walk

2.3 Increase understanding of client question through additional research

Being a Detective: Fact Finding About Your Neighborhood

2.4 Present initial observations and findings; Use maps to be creative storytellers

Telling Your Story! - Posters

2.5 Reflect and wrap-up Assessments – Mapping Reflection, Presentations of Data, Written Research Report


Module 3: Into Action

Goals Activities

3.1 View/experience inspirational examples of planning

Sources of Inspiration

a. Slideshow

b. Urban Design Tour

c. Guest Speakers

3.2 Create a vision for the project; Increase understanding of land use measurements and classifications

Visioning Charrette

3.3 Understand a variety of stakeholder perspectives

Constraints Analysis and Stakeholder Debates

3.4 Create a plan and work on oral arguments

Refining Your Proposal and Making a Plan

3.5 Reflect and wrap-up Assessments – Mid-Project Essay

Module 4: Going Public

Goals Activities

4.1 Work together to clarify ideas and create a presentation; Create a plan for sustained youth participation in the planning process

Preparing to Present!

4.2 Present ideas publicly to the client and additional stakeholders

Represent!

4.3 Celebrate achievements Recognition

4.4 Reflect and wrap-up Final Reflection

Assessment – Final Presentation


Module 5: Looking Forward, Looking Back

Goals Activities

5.1 Evaluate personal participation and Y-PLAN program

Personal Reflection - Discussion

5.2 Practice writing and reflect on Y-PLAN experience

Letters Between Client and Youth Participants

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