The Workshop Process
About the Small Area Workshop Process
PLANiTulsa was fortunate to have had such a large turnout for its Fall 2008 Citywide workshops in which you gave your valuable feedback on how you think the city should grow. The next step is to focus on two key areas in order to gain more specific input on how you envision these areas in the future. Based on your nominations, we will be holding two workshops in East and North Tulsa on December 9th 2008.
About the Process
The workshops are reality based - they use maps that accurately represent the current physical form of these focus areas including specific building types and transportation infrastructure. The workshop process simulates the real tradeoffs that must be made within these areas as Tulsa grows and changes. However, they are also simple enough that people can use their intuition to examine novel ideas.
The process is a source for innovative ideas, and it also reveals where a community has reached consensus on important issues. Workshops are educational, and in some cases, an eye-opening experience for the participants. Results of the workshops will form the basis of a selection of alternatives to test and evaluate.
The entire workshop session will last approximately three hours. It will be broken into three main parts. First, everyone will sit down and view a presentation from the project team. Second, the most substantial portion of the session, the groups will work on the mapping exercise. Finally, during the last twenty or thirty minutes, representatives from the small group tables (a participant, not the facilitator) will describe their map to the entire group.
After the presentation on the current state of the city, growth forecasts, as well as city and neighborhood planning principles, participants will work together in groups of 8 to 10 people representing a cross-section of interests. The project team will provide the participants with all the instructions and background necessary for them to take part in the map exercise. Each table will have a volunteer facilitator to guide the participants through the process.
During the table, or map exercise portion of the event, each group will receive a base map on which to work. The base map will clearly depict developed areas; public or committed lands; and existing transportation networks. Participants will work hands-on to place projected population and employment growth using particular building types. In addition, each table also addresses other important issues such as identifying key issues and participating in a transportation exercise. At the end of this group work session, a group representative will present their results - it is very fun and educational to see the thought process and results from each group.
