ELP 2011 Political-Community Activism (Panelist Discussion)- August 12th, 2011

A RECIPE FOR ACTIVISM

Ingredients:

1 – City Councilwoman

1 – Citizen Architect

1 – Community Activist

Endless – Community Issues

Directions:

Place ingredients into a container and shake intensely, but beware of mild explosions or total combustion.

Origins:

One would expect that when you place a politician, architect and community activist in the same room that a heated discussion would ensue followed by a shoot-out in the parking lot.  The results however for this session on Political and Community Activism yielded insight into the passion and drive for leaders to become engaged within their communities.

The Politician – Councilwoman Angela Hunt is the youngest woman ever to serve on the Dallas City Council.   Upon settling in the M Streets area of Dallas, Councilwoman Hunt noticed an immediate need in her community.  The quaint homes that attracted her family to the area were being torn down one by one and being replaced with Mc Mansions.   To preserve the architectural integrity of the community she set into action a plan to engage her neighbors and maintain the beauty of the historical streets.   Their collective efforts resulted in the creation of Dallas’ Neighborhood Stabilization Overlay, a zoning tool that gives residents in established areas greater input into the size of new homes constructed in their neighborhoods.

 Councilwoman Hunt realized very early on that effective change originates from the inside core and engagement of the shareholders is critical in moving any project forward.  She however stressed that leaders must acknowledge when they make a mistake, learn from it and move forward.  Passion for her community stems from her personal desires.  Councilwoman Hunt has served on the Council since 2005.  She is passionate about the Trinity River Project and has been an integral member of the Dallas Arts District Strategic Planning Council.

The Citizen Architect – Brent Brown, AIA LEED AP is an architect that wears many hats.  Not only does he serve as Founding Director of the Dallas based community design center, buildingcommunity WORKSHOP, but also director of the Dallas CityDesign Studio.   Both organizations actively engage the communities they are working in.  At the onset of any project the Workshop and Studio have to work towards gaining the trust of the residents of the communities they seek to serve.  Humility is a key characteristic that a community leader must possess.  The ability to engage the people, understand the problem, and drive to get things done can yield positive results within the built environment.

There will always be disagreement.  The key to effective negotiation is to avoid “the personal” and focus on the problem.  Rebuking the myth in our minds about what can be done in our community is an integral step in transforming the community.  Big change in society and communities can be approached using the “acupuncture plan.”  In this plan focus is placed on a few small points or in the case of the built environment targeted projects that have the potential to spawn and have a huge impact.

The Community Activist – Jason Roberts is a community organizer, urban planning advocate, and communications consultant residing in the Oak Cliff region of South Dallas.  Early on Jason was one of many that sat around waiting for things to happen.  His impatience grew into frustration which set him into action to bring about positive change.

Jason brings a unique approach to kicking off community engagement projects.  When an idea is conceived he gives it a name, establishes a date no later than 90 days out and then publishes the date/ event immediately thereafter.   Oftentimes the idea is not fully flushed out upon publication, but forces Jason and his fellow advocates to move forward with the end results in mind.   His methodology has yielded and assisted in the successful renovation of the Historic Texas Theater and receipt of a $23 million dollar stimulus grant to help reintroduce a modern rail system to Dallas.  Jason believes in public space projects where people come to know each other and develop a sense of belonging.

Key to engaging the community is truly showing how passionate you are about the cause.  This will resonate to those around you.  Enthusiasm and interest through constant engagement must be maintained throughout the process.  In instances where you lack in resources learn to borrow.  However, when you borrow the cup of sugar make sure that you bring cookies back.

Derwin Broughton
Ron Hobbs Architects