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If ever there was a question mark over whether people were open to the idea of increased connectivity within communities, the rise and rise of social media such as Facebook and Twitter are signs that many do in fact want to connect, and, given the tools they will participate, contribute and act. The benefits of increasing connectivity and social capital within communities are well documented, and these terms are ingrained within the public policy and community sector lexicon. For the most part policy directed at communities is generally reactionary and focuses on supporting those identified as ‘most at-risk’ and ‘in need’. On one level so it should, a role of Government is to support those in our community who are most vulnerable. On the other hand, the flow on effect of a disconnected community resonates throughout our whole society. Depression, isolation and loneliness are not exclusive to those ‘in need’, and you do not have to be ‘at-risk’ to feel disengaged or a sense of wanting to be more connected. Rather than just being a social or welfare issue, community building could be better developed within public policy as a planning issue. Integrating social policy into planning policy removes the pressure to focus on welfare, providing for a holistic view of current and future community dynamics, assets and resources. The shift in planning policy towards high density, transit orientated design takes into account the belief that for communities to be sustainable in the long term they need to integrate the elements of public transport, work and economic opportunities, environmental pressures and social interaction. These communities cannot be planned in isolation, their planning takes into account the surrounding infrastructure, resources, and environmental and social elements. This lays the foundation for new ways of thinking about community; who is responsible for the healthy development of communities, and who benefits from strong communities in the short and long term? The fact is residents, business, developers, government and local institutions all have a vested interest in creating developments and communities that people want to live, thrive and invest in. Integrating social building into planning policy is an opportunity because a range of stakeholders benefit from healthy, convivial communities, therefore a range of stakeholders have a vested interest in creating and investing in policies that foster positive social change and community action. What forms could social planning policy take? Firstly, a risk management approach to identifying developments that will be or may become contentious, and ensuring within these developments the broader local community has an opportunity to participate in deliberative processes that enable them to have their say, and contribute towards the community vision. Planning processes have too often become contentious and untrustworthy; creating opportunities for the community to become effective partners from the start is a must. Secondly, mapping community assets; the people, stories, environment, heritage and infrastructure of the area, and identifying the elements that make the area special. Policies can then be created around the preservation and enhancement of these assets. This may include local environmental preservation policies that enable community members to be partners in the process of environmental restoration and management, and which in turn empower communities to extend the principles of such environmental policies into other areas of their community. Thirdly, developing policies that connect local assets; connecting people to ideas, opportunities and resources and that allow citizens the freedom to be responsible for areas of their community and for the development of projects and ideas that they feel are important. Policies should support and encourage local people to create local projects. The onus on organisations to develop programs for the community could be removed, and instead these organisations could provide the leverage and resources for community mobilisers to develop programs with the encouragement and support of local organisations. Just as technologies like Facebook and Twitter remind us that people are willing to connect, it is these technologies that provide us with an effective way to bridge the gaps within our society. Community mapping, idea generation and practical action can be created and supported in an online environment, connecting people to ideas, resources and opportunities. There is a fear that these technologies isolate us and stop us from being involved in our communities, but we have already done that to ourselves with or without technology. It is time for us to use technology in the way it is often touted – as tool for efficiency, time saving and increasing connectivity. Technology can play a significant role in the development of innovative community policy because it provides new, unexplored mechanisms to communicate and engage. Evolving social policy to foster and encourage community action and participation will not be easy. In part because the mechanisms for which social policy has been developed do not necessarily enable community action, policy is often about doing things to people rather than with them. In this scenario social policy act as a catalyst and an enabler – it is people that create action and change. Issues effecting society have clearly become too great for government to control or change. We need people to mobilise, to communicate, problem solve, generate solutions and importantly, to act. Technology has exposed that given the tools and opportunity individuals will connect, participate and act, at least around areas they are passionate about and given the chance to be involved in. Social policy within a community welfare setting is reactionary and limited in its capacity and scope. Planning policy however, offers the opportunity to look at social policy through a broader lens. The different stakeholders involved remove the onus on policy execution from any one level of government, and an increased number of stakeholders mean an increased number of partners to invest in the support and development of positive community building. Things to Do Digg it Save This Page
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