“What Kind of City do the People Want? Bringing Opinion Research into the Digital Age
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What Kind of City do the People Want? Bringing Opinion Research into the Digital Age Ken Cameron FCIP Adjunct Professor of Urban Studies Simon Fraser University Director, PlaceSpeak Inc.
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Presentation at the Community Indicators Consortium Impact Summit 2013. PlaceSpeak has emerged as a consultation tool at a time when traditional methods of public engagement are becoming contentious, expensive and unreliable. Because it builds up a user base of citizens interested in particular topics and/or particular geographic areas, PlaceSpeak has the potential to establish continuing interactive relationships between citizens and their local governments in a way that is convenient and respects privacy. Examples of practical applications will be provided in the presentation.
Transcript of “What Kind of City do the People Want? Bringing Opinion Research into the Digital Age
What Kind of City do the People Want? Bringing Opinion Research into
the Digital Age
Ken Cameron FCIPAdjunct Professor of Urban Studies
Simon Fraser UniversityDirector, PlaceSpeak Inc.
Outline
• Planning for livability in the Vancouver region• Urban Futures Survey• PlaceSpeak: A New Tool for Public
Consultation• Conclusions
Key Elements in Planning for Greater Vancouver
• Long-term commitment going back to 1940s (with some interruptions)
• Vision-based: “Cities in a Sea of Green;” “The Livable Region”
• Based on public participation and opinion research: The Urban Futures Survey
Outline
• Planning for livability in the Vancouver region• Urban Futures Survey• PlaceSpeak: A New Tool for Public
Consultation• Conclusions
Urban Futures Survey 1973, 1990, 2012
• Representative sample of metropolitan region’s population
• Components– Demographic, household, employment– Statements – agree scale– Issues and problems – ranked– Regional plan priorities – ranking of five goals
Areas of Focus
• Environment• Community life• Mobility• Built environment• Managing growth• Governance
Urban Futures Survey Impact on Policy
• 1973 – personal interviews
• 1990 – telephone survey
• 2012 – online survey using PlaceSpeak
• Livable Region Plan proposals
• Creating Our Future Vision and Livable Region Strategic Plan
• Confirmation/ranking of regional planning goals
Location of Urban Futures Survey 2012 Respondents
Ranking of Issues: 1973, 1990, 2012
Ranking of Challenges: 2012
Ranking of Regional Growth Strategies
Outline
• Planning for livability in the Vancouver region• Urban Futures Survey• PlaceSpeak: A New Tool for Public
Consultation• Conclusions
Why do we want effective citizen engagement?
• Political and public expectations• Certainty• Better decisions• Democracy
The old consultation system is broken
• Traditional forms of public consultation are dysfunctional and ineffective: Public meetings, Door knocking, Land line telephones.
• Online consultation to date has been anonymous and “one-off;” it suffers from: Trolls, Gaming the system, anecdotal Social Media.
• Online Consultation typically lacks verifiable feedback data to inform evidence-based decision-making and public policy development.
Need for a new paradigm
Challenges
• Time• Respect for privacy• Language• Complexity of issues• Interactivity/Iterativeness• Integrity of results
The potential of online engagement
• Privacy• Convenience• Broader reach• Ability to present complex information• Neutrality/open-mindedness• Interactivity/Iterativeness
We’re all adults here (aren’t we?)
Malcolm Knowles, a pioneer in the study of adult learning, observed that adults learn best when:
• They understand why something is important to know or do
• They have the freedom to learn in their own way• Learning is experiential• The time is right for them to learn• The process is positive and encouraging
A burgeoning/bewildering array of tools
Case in Point: PlaceSpeak
Participants (citizens)
• Sign up with email address
• Verify identity• Identify topics of interest
(by area or by subject)• Participate through
surveys, discussion forums, etc.
Proponents (cities, developers, utilities, etc.)• Register and identify a
topic• Determine who can
participate by area and/or topic
• Choose consultation tools• Engage with participants
and report outcomes
Integrity
• Participants’ privacy is protected• Participants are informed of the purpose of a
consultation and can decide whether or not to participate
• Proponents are screened• No advertising• Data is not sold
Example: Lingyen Mountain Temple
Definition of consultation area
Example: Aldergrove Community Centre
Definition of consultation area
Outline
• Planning for livability in the Vancouver region• Urban Futures Survey• PlaceSpeak: A New Tool for Public
Consultation• Conclusions
Conclusions
• Citizen engagement is essential to a successfully planned future
• Comprehensive opinion research can guide engagement and policy making
• Online mechanisms offer vast potential to enhance opinion research and broaden and deepen engagement
• There is even the potential to transform the relationship between citizen and government
What Kind of City do the People Want? Bringing Opinion Research into the Digital Age
Ken Cameron [email protected]
www.placespeak.comwww.urbanfuturessurvey.com
