Since 1995, the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC) has held an annual national conference dedicated to an issue of importance to Canadians. This year’s bilingual conference, taking place in Montreal, will be on the theme of The Cities We Need, a subject Canadians are talking about now more than ever. Cities have […]
Engagement
public participation & citizen engagement
Idea Bombing a Better City
We all have ideas, no matter how big or small, for making our own streets, neighbourhoods, and districts better places. These ideas have the potential to make the city we live in unique, distinct and vibrant. But how do we unlock this potential? As practitioners we have many tools at our disposal. But which ones […]
Youth Leaders from the Ground Up
How can we create green literacy skills in youth and foster strong leaders in our community? How do we bridge the gap between youth unemployment and meaningful work? How can youth foster connections in the working world and gain experience and a sense of belonging? These are the questions that the Youth Leaders from the […]
Place-based Conflict Management
In our global village world, we are more likely to buy into ideas and approaches developed somewhere else, in a different place. This is certainly true in the conflict management arena (my perspective with this post); whether its interest-based negotiation, more prisons, or Online Dispute Resolution (ODR). No matter if good or bad, these other […]
Green spaces and places in Oaklands Neighbourhood
The Places Project had another successful urban space discovery walk in Oaklands neighbourhood (Victoria, BC, Canada) on Sunday April 14th. Re-imagine Oaklands Neighbourhood dove into the question ‘what is the role of green space in the community?’ While walking shoulder to shoulder we are able to slow down and notice different nooks and green spaces, […]
Jane’s Walk – Downtown Places and Passages
The Places Project invites you to join us in our third urban space exploration: Downtown Places and Passages – a Jane’s Walk Saturday May 4 1 – 2 pm Meet in the atrium courtyard of the Greater Victoria Public Library Central branch 735 Broughton Street. We will explore a number of downtown plazas and walkways, […]
Reimagining Oaklands: a preview
The Places Project will be exploring the green spaces of Oaklands neighbourhood in Victoria, BC, on Sunday April 14. A week before the event, we did a preview walk, scouting the area. It’s an intriguing neighbourhood. Here’s a few glimpses of what we saw and things that we will no doubt talk about on April 14. […]
The Neighbourhood Stroll Habit: recharge your collaborative mindset
When I’m working at my home office, by mid-day I’m usually ready for some outside time. Fortunately I live in an inviting neighbourhood. A short stroll in my ‘hood helps recharge my batteries. And when the batteries are charged, its easier to do those good things: focus, listening, empathy… associated with the collaborative mindset. On the […]
The worst PowerPoint in the world
There’s actually an award for the worst PowerPoint presentations. Many of us have sat through presentations that couldn’t hold the attention span of a five-year-old. Does creating an engaging Power Point take more effort? If you’re new to this, probably. Is it worth it? Well, considering you’ve spent time compiling information into a presentation, you […]
Walking Consultations: moving public engagement beyond opinions
“Getting public input” is a phase in almost every urban planning decision that is made in the developed world. Too often, however, it means simply surveying the existing attitudes of stakeholders (and sometimes that thing called “the general public”), rather than doing what we humans are so good at – thinking, sharing, and being creative. […]