Too often community engagement can be seen as an afterthought, carried out in a dull and unengaging way. But does it always have to be this way" In this article from ArchitectureBoston?s Spring 2016 Issue, originally titled ?Bring on the joy: Civic engagement strategies in the age of Twitter,? Russell Preston makes a case for more dynamic public engagement, citing several examples where ?engagement is actually the process? rather than just a ?required step to a planning process.

For a project in Maine, the author lived in the neighborhood and held charettes, presentations, and workshops in his cottage. Illustration: Adapted by Stoltze Design from a drawing by Russell Preston. Image

Too often community engagement can be seen as an afterthought, carried out in a dull and unengaging way. But does it always have to be this way" In this article from ArchitectureBoston?s Spring 2016 Issue, originally titled ?Bring on the joy: Civic engagement strategies in the age of Twitter,? Russell Preston makes a case for more dynamic public engagement, citing several examples where ?engagement is actually the process? rather than just a ?required step to a planning process.In New England, changing zoning is more difficult than sending someone to the moon. In the spring of 2015, Dan Bacon, planning director for Scarborough, Maine, asked for help implementing a better zoning code for Higgins Beach, a picturesque community of largely seasonal residents. Outdated regula...