Aaron's how to do a Charette

Hi again,

Thanks for the input, I figured there were others out there that thought the same. I'd be happy to take the lead. Janice's First and Second Questions below are the keys to creating a master plan. For once in the real world, the financial realities take a back seat and are dealt with later. A master plan takes four major steps: 1) Brainstorming, 2) Analysising the brainstorming ideas, 3) Developing a plan from the ideas and 4) Revising the plan. Here's how step 1) happens when there's "community" involvement (this step is also called the Charette): A) Those interested in contributing gather together with the facilitators, B) Everyone splits into 2 - 4 groups each with a facilitator who directs their group's discussion and also writes and draws their ideas, C) Each group sketches up their own master plan based on their ideas and D) Each group presents to the whole gathering for comments and review (the Critique). Steps 2) and 3) are done by the architect or planner, who after presenting the master plan back to the "community", also completes step 4) for final review.

I can give more details on steps 2) to 4) later, but I was tossing and turning last night trying to figure out how to do step 1), the Charette, when the "community" is phyisiclly scattered all about. I have a couple of ideas. My favorite is having localized families have their own Charette (or steps A, B & C above). We can create a website where family members can go to get the tools they need to have their Charette and then post their results so that everyone can comment on them. I can do my analysising and repost to the site for additional comments. The "final" master plan and any future revisions can be on this site. I have the means to set up a site for free and pretty easily (Google Sites); however, I know there those of us who have WAY more skills and resources than I have who could perhaps take the lead on the website. Also, the upcoming gathering at the Falls for Conference is an excellent opportunity for those nearby to have a Charette.

Your thoughts?

Having recently done this at work with a school group, I can tell you that everyone had LOTS OF FUN and they took an even larger feeling of pride and ownership in their school.

Aaron