The Creation of a Shared Vision and its Relevance to New Zealand

 

"The Creation of a Shared Civic Vision and Its Relevance to New Zealand" Steven Ames told the story of the redevelopment of Portland Oregon over the last 25 years. It involved the development of a Shared Civic Vision that transformed the city - and it focused on making Portland livable for the people.

About Steven Ames

Steven Ames has consulted with visioning efforts in the U.S. and Canada at the local, regional, state and provincial levels. More recently he has advised local and regional visioning projects in New Zealand and Australia. Steven Ames, principal of Steven Ames Planning and NXT Consulting Group of Portland, Oregon, is a consulting planner and futurist who assists government, public agencies and institutions, and other organizations anticipate and plan for the future. Author of "A Guide to Community Visioning", the American Planning Association's award-winning citizen handbook, Mr. Ames has consulted on local and regional visioning projects in the U.S., Canada, and more recently Australia and New Zealand.

About The Message

Many recognize that New Zealand needs a strategic vision created by and for the people of New Zealand. A "shared vision" can show the way forward by charting future directions that are supported and acted upon by people. This seems like a massive undertaking, like putting a man on the moon. Or it is? Steven Ames has found that process of creating a vision to be a practical, hopeful way forward for all sizes of regions - charting future directions and action initiatives that address the reality of rapid societal change. Steven has consulted with visioning efforts in the U.S. and Canada at the local, regional, state and provincial level. More recently he has advised local and regional visioning efforts in New Zealand and Australia.

To paint a picture of the power of vision, Steven presented a visual case study of Portland, Oregon. Over the last 25 years, Portland has undergone a remarkable period of urban redevelopment that has made it a model for cities around the world. Portland's transformation has involved all elements of the urban fabric, including housing, transportation, commercial development, waterfronts, greenspaces and public spaces. Among the unique factors that have contributed to Portland's success is a tradition of public foresight and visionary planning, involving not only public officials and planners, but also civic organizations, the business community and the public-at-large. Steven will discuss the link between civic vision and urban redevelopment, showing how an ongoing series of planning efforts have helped lay the groundwork for the physical rebirth of the city and an emerging vision for the region as a whole.

Full Presentation >>

About The Results From The Event

Following a question and answer period, a workshop engaged people to ask two questions. 1) What is relevant and 2) What is not relevant - for New Zealand? The following summary resulted:

Relevant

Process

• Create a sustainable civic vision driven by visionary leaders (not just power brokers)
• Engage quality leadership - that listens, leads by example and connects people.
• Create a collaborative process of participation at civic level
• Go to the heart of creativity in civic organizations - this comes form communities i.e. vision team
• Use arts (visual, musical, dance, etc) as a key tool
• Create a long-term vision, a consensus - with end point in sight.
• Include caring for people - love factor - listening.
• Re-invent and stimulate community through leadership and participation
• Create a collective Auckland-wide vision
• Margaret Mead's quote: It only takes a small group of people to change the world - in fact that's the only way it has always been.
• We can overcome huge obstacles - if we have the public will.

Content

• Provide good public transport that provides choice.
• Provide public access to waterfront
• Design parks instead of parking lots - livability vs drivability.
• Roads and motorways can be torn up.
• A sense of pride, identity of place is important
• Provide opportunities for people to be together - to talk and listen.

Not Relevant

• Expect government to contribute
• Dismantling existing motorways (contrasting opinion)