Image Credit: Melissa Goldstein

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how lucky I am to experience being both a resident and a change agent in my neighbourhood of Alexandra Park. As our neighbourhood goes through community consultations, design charrettes, and meetings related to the Revitalization of Alexandra Park, I reflect on how working with communities has allowed me to meet great people, learn new things and has given me the great feeling of knowing that I’ve made a difference in someone’s life.

My real-life experience working in my own community and several other communities combined with my background in Urban Planning has strengthened my belief of the importance of an inclusive, bottom-up, participatory approach to developing and strengthening communities.

Building strong communities means going beyond “bricks and mortar” to ensure individual well-being, economic and social inclusion, financial and environmental sustainability, and building on the capital that already exists.  A comprehensive, inclusive approach must be taken in order to ensure healthy communities and shared ownership.  Working with communities is something I truly value and I’ve learned some simple lessons I’d like to share.

I’ve compiled a list of 10 tips that I’ve found to be effective in building strong relationships within communities.

1. Introduce yourself in a friendly way:

• Let people know who you are, where you’re from and why you are there; be yourself

2. Take your time and observe your environment:

• When you are in a new environment, take the time to understand your surroundings. This is important to getting to know the people you are working with

3. Use connecting language and tone:

• Use language that is clear, straightforward  and easily understood by everyone

4. Look for informal leaders in the community:

• Take advantage of this asset. Informal leaders already have the trust and respect of the community, even if they don’t have a formal role

5. Learn from local expertise:

• Though you may be a subject matter expert for the project, be sure to incorporate the knowledge and strengths of the people you are working with – you can learn from the experiences they share with you

6. Work with the community:

• It’s a partnership, where everyone is equally valued
• Have an idea of what you will be working on, but leave room for the community to plan with you
• If there are aspects of the project you want to include, ensure that the people you are working with are onside
• Make sure you are all working together with mutual intentions
• If your partners want to make any changes, be flexible and work together to find alternatives

7. Ensure everyone feels that their voices are heard:

• It’s important to pay attention and listen actively to your partners; wait for them to finish speaking before voicing your view

8. Be honest, accountable and well-intentioned:

• Be truthful and straightforward with your ideas and keep in mind that you will be held accountable for the ideas and actions you put forward

9. Value working with communities:

• Recognizing the value and importance of working with communities depends on  your genuine support and understanding of the positive benefits

10. Use professional judgment:

• Working with communities requires professional judgment; while theory is important, unforeseen circumstances may require that you be practical and use good judgment and common sense to deal with difficult matters as they arise

These tips work. Using them can save time, improve relationships, ensure a seamless and successful partnership and create positive successful outcomes for everyone involved!