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Planning in a Multicultural EnvironmentAre planners doing enough to engage ethnoracial minorities in consultation activities and when decisions need to be made? I recently came across a 2001 study by two Toronto university professors, which surveyed planners across 25 municipalities within the Greater Toronto Area. The study found that consultation with ethnoracial minorities was not undertaken as much as it should be. |
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| Are planners doing enough to engage ethno racial minorities in consultation activities and when decisions need to be made? This is a fascinating topic and quite frankly I am not surprised by the findings of the study. Within the practice and profession of planning, these types of questions, as an intellectual exercise, are always healthy. . In Toronto, 50% of the population is comprised o ethno racial minorities, other than Anglo-Saxon. If we consider a different set of variables such as demographics, immigration, job creation, population movement; we can perhaps say that this percentage of population it is likely will have a tendency to increase or at least to remain the same. Whatever these tendencies are, it is my opinion, that the view of such large segment of the population should not remain absent from the plans. After all, one of the functions of planning is to mediate and reach out to a multiplicity of ideas and perspectives? Sandercock’s idea of planning for a cosmopolis or Forester planning in the face of power, are fundamental tenets in the profession of planning, not even say that whatever we plan have also an effect in this segment of society. It is also valid to ask, why we have been unable to incorporate ethno racial minorities in the profession of planning. As it is my case, having graduated with honours from a MES/ planning program at York University, I have not been able to find any work as a planner. Would it be that we have one-sided view of a planner? Or is it something that runs deeper than the mere act of facilitating a workshop for a minority group? Whatever it is be my guest. Eric Lopez (eric_a_lopez@hotmail.com) |
| Posted by: Eric Lopez Posted on: October 04 2006 |
| This is certainly a timely topic of discussion, particularly in Canada, a country characterized by one of the most diverse ethnic, racial and cultural populations in the world. rnrnI am not an expert on the complexities and sensitivities of planning in multi-cultural environments, nor have I directed as much attention to this compelling arena as Corinne has by way of thesis work. Nevertheless, I would like to make a contribution, however rudimentary or surficial.rnrnIt seems that planners should not only consider when and where to be culturally sensitive in their practices, but perhaps more importantly how (if at all) their practices are being sensitive. How best can planners find a solution to incompatible and often conflicting opinions that are fervently charged by political, religious, ethnic and cultural beliefs?rnrnCorinne certainly provides us with a number of excellent tactics that planners and planning departments can implement in view of realizing sensitive and inclusive planning processes in light of multiculturalism. In a similar veine as Corinne already suggested it would also be fruitful to facilitate forums for community mediators and organizers, activists and planners who have directly confronted practical questions of multicultural differences. rnrnA forum for the effected multi-cultural groups would also be effective. It would bring people together and to some measure bridge the gap between their differences and impart pertinent information required to design diverse communities reflective of its citizen’s beliefs and needs. Through multicultural conversations, communities not only become involved in their own urban plans, more importantly, they begin to understand the complexities of design influenced by stringent regulatory requirements.rn |
| Posted by: Andrew Schreyer Posted on: August 12 2006 |
| How refreshing it is to see this issue being addressed! I recently completed a thesis on planning for minority places of worship and I concluded that planners are not doing enough to 'plan' for multiculturalism. My findings echo those mentioned above. First, despite the fact that different faiths have different needs in terms of parking, location, worship practices and design, planning regulations ignore these differences and apply the same standards and regulations on all faith groups. Consequently, planners? efforts to treat everyone equally result in unequal treatment. Second, planners lack the training and skills to effectively integrate multicultural populations into the planning process. Public consultation processes are seldom representative of the general population and planners rely on an adversarial process that is at odds with the communication style of some groups. The voices of a significant proportion of the population are missing on discussions of shaping the city. What can planners do to address this issue? I agree that planners need to obtain training in cross-cultural skills. They need to reach out to diverse populations and create an environment where everyone can feel comfortable participating in the planning process. One of the most significant findings from my study is that within a multicultural framework, accommodating different groups with diverse needs requires asymmetrical policies to achieve equitable outcomes. Planners should work closely with diverse communities to tailor policies to help them meet their needs. Planners also need to take on the role of educator. Planners should inform key decision makers (politicians, others in the planning community) of the hurdles faced by minority groups when they engage the planning system. At the same time, they should teach disadvantaged groups about the planning process so they are empowered to make the system work for their benefit. Finally, planners should reach out to professionals in other disciplines who have more experience dealing with diversity. Examples that come to mind include social work, sociology, psychology, religion and others. By collaborating with them and sharing our ideas, we can gain new insight into the problem and develop solutions that are better than what we can come up with on our own. The multiculturalism our society must be embraced. The starting point in planning would be to appreciate that diverse communities make contributions to the urban landscape and to think innovatively about how these communities can meet their needs and maximize their contributions to society. If you have any opinions and experiences on this issue, please share them. I strongly believe that this discussion must be brought into the spotlight if our profession is to remain relevant and contribute in a meaningful way to building our cities. How refreshing it is to see this issue being addressed! I recently completed a thesis on planning for minority places of worship and I concluded that planners are not doing enough to 'plan' for multiculturalism. My findings echo those mentioned above. First, despite the fact that different faiths have different needs in terms of parking, location, worship practices and design, planning regulations ignore these differences and apply the same standards and regulations on all faith groups. Consequently, planners' efforts to treat everyone equally result in unequal treatment. Second, planners lack the training and skills to effectively integrate multicultural populations into the planning process. Public consultation processes are seldom representative of the general population and planners rely on an adversarial process that is at odds with the communication style of some groups. The voices of a significant proportion of the population are missing on discussions of shaping the city. What can planners do to address this issue? I agree that planners need to obtain training in cross-cultural skills. They need to reach out to diverse populations and create an environment where everyone can feel comfortable participating in the planning process. One of the most significant findings from my study is that within a multicultural framework, accommodating different groups with diverse needs requires asymmetrical policies to achieve equitable outcomes. Planners should work closely with diverse communities to tailor policies to help them meet their needs. Planners also need to take on the role of educator. Planners should inform key decision makers (politicians, others in the planning community) of the hurdles faced by minority groups when they engage the planning system. At the same time, they should teach disadvantaged groups about the planning process so they are empowered to make the system work for their benefit. Finally, planners should reach out to professionals in other disciplines who have more experience dealing with diversity. Examples that come to mind include social work, sociology, psychology, religion and others. By collaborating with them and sharing our ideas, we can gain new insight into the problem and develop solutions that are better than what we can come up with on our own. The multiculturalism our society must be embraced. The starting point in planning would be to appreciate that diverse communities make contributions to the urban landscape and to think innovatively about how these communities can meet their needs and maximize their contributions to society. If you have any opinions and experiences on this issue, please share them. I strongly believe that this discussion must be brought into the spotlight if our profession is to remain relevant and contribute in a meaningful way to building our cities. |
| Posted by: Corinne Posted on: December 10 2005 |
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