Community Development Workshops

Before designing a workshop, I always ask myself: Where does this group need to go 'from' and 'to'? Understanding their starting point helps me define how I want them to leave the session and what success looks like. Take the Work on Climate community workshop I facilitated a few years ago as an example. This vibrant community—tens of thousands connected via Slack—shared similar goals: transitioning their careers into climate work. Yet many hadn't, yet, developed personal connections in the community. Once I pinpointed their journey's start and destination, I broke down the session using the Kaos Pilots 5E model (guide in the comments 👇🏼). Designing a session that instilled pride in being part of a global movement while fostering personal connections in breakout rooms. With over 200 participants, the energy was palpable. And, I knew the workshop was a success when one participant, inspired by our discussion on how they could continue to support one another, took the initiative to form smaller accountability groups to keep the momentum going. How do you start your workshop design process? Picture: a piece of paper with hand written 5E process outlined with the description FROM Group of passionate individuals committed to finding climate work but not connected to each other. TO a community of individuals who are connected to a handful of others who are on similar paths & feel they belong to a wider movement.

Still questioning the value of participatory planning tools and methodologies at UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme)? This is not just another LinkedIn post. These are real stories and lessons from the ground. Let me take you to New Damietta City in Egypt, where something powerful happened just two weeks ago: we co-designed a public park with the local community, as part of the Urban Planning and Infrastructure in Migration Contexts (UPIMC) programme, funded by SECO and implemented by UN-Habitat Egypt. This was not just a workshop, it was a meeting of voices! Egyptians, Syrians, and Sudanese are working together to shape a public space that belongs to them all. Here are 3 striking takeaways that prove participation is not a “nice-to-have,” it is essential: 🔹 1. Public spaces exist. But why are many of them empty? Maps show many well-maintained gardens and public spaces, but in reality, many remain unused. Why? We heard the reasons from people: poor lighting, street dogs, speeding traffic, and lack of accessibility. Same issue, “safety”, but each case needs a different solution. How would we have known this without listening to the people who live there? 🔹 2. A beautiful beach for people with special abilities, yet not so many people go there. Why? It is well-built and inclusive by design, so on paper, it looks perfect. But in reality? Participants with special abilities told us: there is no public transportation to the beach. And once there, the cafeteria does not serve food. This tiny operational detail, ‘no sandwiches’, completely changes the usability of a public space.. Imagine! 🔹 3. Shops are available, but not affordable. Commercial spaces exist, but rent prices are far beyond what small local or migrant businesses can pay. If economic inclusion is a goal, then affordability and access need to be part of the planning conversation. But the workshop was more than identifying gaps. It was about co-creating solutions. We started with an intro to participatory tools like My Neighbourhood and Our City Plans, then moved into macro-scale mapping, discussing spatial, social, and economic issues across the city. Then came the micro scale: redesigning the park itself. The energy was incredible. Elders, youth, parents, Egyptians, Syrians, Sudanese, everyone brought their hopes, needs, and ideas. Women imagined the activities they want to enjoy and translated those into spatial needs. Children dreamed up play areas. Participants proposed festivals, food courts, and bazaars. Syrians shared entrepreneurial tips with Sudanese peers. It was inclusive, creative, and deeply human. Finally, the closing was a moment of joy! Our colleague Nada used AI to visualize the community’s ideas live. Their reactions were unforgettable! They smiled, pointed, and laughed :) Imagine how they will feel when it becomes reality. This is why we do what we do. Because maps tell us what is there. People tell us what works and what does not.

Small Towns, Big Impact: A Practical Playbook for Community-Led Design and Infrastructure Smaller cities and rural communities are showing that the most powerful “infrastructure strategy” is praxis: turning planning theory into small, community-shaped projects that can be iterated, scaled, and sustained over time. Instead of waiting for outside saviors or perfect master plans, these towns are advancing with A Plan—grounded in local values, assets, and leadership. Praxis over planning paralysis Real progress in small towns comes from listening small, thinking big, and working with what you’ve got. Praxis in this context means using plans as living tools, testing ideas on the ground, observing results, and then refining design and investment decisions in cycles. For professionals, the shift is from delivering static plans to facilitating continuous, community-led implementation. Implementation playbook in practice Three case studies anchor this approach. 1.     Millsboro, Delaware, used a phased Complete Streets program—visioning workshops, temporary bike lanes, a pop-up park, then permanent sidewalks, lanes, and CPTED upgrades—to cut vacancies, boost foot and bike traffic, and reduce crime. 2.    Independence, Iowa, launched “Paint the Town” with micro façade grants, volunteer paint days, murals, and pop-up markets, then leveraged that momentum into permanent pocket parks, streetscape upgrades, and business incentives. 3.     Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, revived an underused park through community visioning, low-cost playground and fitness upgrades, public art, and a resident-led programming committee. Principles for Practitioners, Planners and Policymakers Across these examples, the implementation pattern is consistent: start with quick, visible wins; design for incremental change; and treat data as feedback, not as a gatekeeper. Tools like community workshops, walking audits, pop-up pilots, and simple metrics (vacancy rates, foot traffic, event attendance) help local leaders adjust and scale what works. Partnerships—grants, local sponsors, volunteer labor—extend limited rural capacity without sacrificing community ownership. For professionals working in rural and small-town contexts, the role shifts from expert-director to facilitator and coach. Success looks less like delivering a glossy master plan and more like helping local leaders convene residents, pick the first small project, find flexible funding, and build structures (like downtown associations or park committees) that can carry the work forward. The takeaway:  development is a community process, and the most resilient rural strategies embed praxis and implementation—listen, test, measure, adapt—into every step. Link to the blog in the comments.  #SmallTowns #Rural #RuralDevelopment #Praxis #PlanningImplementation #CommunityLedDesign #Placemaking #Downtown #CommunityDevelopment #EconDev 

Participatory methods provide structured ways to involve stakeholders in decision-making, research, and project evaluation processes. This toolkit offers practical guidance and adaptable tools for planning and facilitating inclusive engagement with communities, institutions, and other actors. Designed for development professionals and facilitators, it emphasizes empowerment, dialogue, and shared ownership of outcomes across sectors and cultural contexts. The document presents the following essential tools and principles of participatory approaches: – Foundations of participation, including typologies of involvement and degrees of stakeholder influence – Step-by-step planning process for choosing appropriate methods based on context, purpose, and participants – Group dynamics, facilitation techniques, and ethical considerations to support inclusive engagement – Detailed guidance for over 20 participatory tools such as problem trees, ranking exercises, Venn diagrams, and timelines – Practical instructions for implementing tools in workshops, field settings, and institutional consultations – Examples of use in sectors like health, education, natural resource management, and urban planning – Strategies for adapting tools to cultural norms, literacy levels, and power relations – Tips for integrating participatory methods into broader research, evaluation, and policy processes The toolkit emphasizes that participatory methods are not just about techniques, but about values of respect, inclusion, and co-creation. When applied thoughtfully, these methods build trust, strengthen local agency, and lead to decisions that are more relevant, transparent, and sustainable across diverse development settings.

🌱 Regenerative Sustainability, Community-Led Change & Accountability: A Stakeholder-Centered Approach for Project & Change Managers 🌱 How do we move beyond "sustainability" as a buzzword and toward regenerative, community-driven change? How do we ensure that communities most affected by systemic challenges are the ones leading the solutions? Our new training workshop explores three powerful frameworks that empower project and change managers to align stakeholder interests, build accountability, and drive lasting impact: Taiwo Abraham, PhD Candidate, PMP, CFA-ESG, GRI-CSP let’s flesh this out! ✅ Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD): Instead of focusing on what a community lacks, ABCD builds from existing strengths—local skills, cultural knowledge, networks, and resilience—to create sustainable, self-driven progress. ✅ Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR): Research shouldn’t just be about communities—it should be with and for them. CBPAR ensures that those most affected by a challenge co-create solutions, driving equitable, data-informed decision-making. ✅ Regenerative Sustainability: Beyond reducing harm, regenerative sustainability restores ecosystems, economies, and social structures. It helps communities escape ecological determinism & fatalism, reclaim agency, and thrive in a changing world. This training is designed to equip project and change managers with the tools to build sustainable, community-driven initiatives that truly work. Here’s what we cover: 📌 Stakeholder Accountability & Strategic Planning – Aligning ABCD & CBPAR with Gerald Gabris' strategic planning model for local governments. 📌 Applying Accountability Frameworks – Using Romzek & Dubnick's accountability matrix to balance legal, professional, bureaucratic, and political responsibilities in regenerative projects. 📌 Case Studies & Global Best Practices – Real-world applications, including: 🌍 Housing First: Using ABCD to empower formerly unhoused individuals to co-design housing solutions. 🌱 Camp Liberty: A CBPAR-driven initiative where veterans restore degraded landscapes while healing PTSD. 📌 Alignment with SDGs & GRI Standards – Making sustainability frameworks actionable, measurable, and relevant to real-world projects. 📌 Meta-Analysis of Emerging Research (2020-2024) – A deep dive into recent findings on regenerative change, stakeholder engagement, and community resilience. Why Does This Matter? Project and change managers are at the forefront of shaping how organizations engage with communities. Whether you're leading a nonprofit initiative, a corporate sustainability effort, or a government program, this training helps you cultivate accountability to stakeholder interests—not just to check a box, but to drive real, regenerative impact. If you're a leader committed to making sustainability truly sustainable, let’s connect. 💡 #RegenerativeSustainability #StakeholderEngagement #ChangeManagement #ProjectManagement #CommunityDevelopment