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Inclusive Engagement Techniques and Approaches

Charrettes

Seven people sit at a table and look over a colorful map. The table is filled with papers, writing supplies, and is located in front of a projector screen.

Photo by: Kearns & West

What is it?

A charrette is a collaborative session in which a group of participants discuss and develop potential designs or ideas for a project through structured activities, including brainstorming, sketching and model-building. Charrettes are typically executed over several consecutive sessions, which could take multiple days.

When to use it

Charrettes work well for design-focused projects such as site planning, park design or determining where infrastructure can go within a neighborhood. Charrettes are particularly helpful in the early stages of a project to explore design possibilities and refine ideas.

How to do it

Before

  • Determine what types of feedback are desired from the charrette and plan for activities that help facilitate conversations around those types of feedback. Types of feedback may include physical design considerations, locations and orientations of buildings and infrastructure or desired uses and features of a public space.
  • Develop an agenda. An agenda may include the following items:
    • Welcome and Introductions
    • Understanding the Context
    • Brainstorming
    • Refinement and Feedback
    • Summarize and Envision
    • Presentation and Review
    • Next Steps and Closing Remarks
  • Choose venues that are fully accessible, including parking, entrances and restrooms. Choose venues near transit and that have adequate parking.
  • Identify roles. Staff roles may include:
    • Facilitator. Multiple facilitators may be needed if breakout sessions are planned.
    • Subject matter experts. Some topics may require additional explanation to understand what is feasible within a project.
    • Support staff, such as note-takers and photographers.
    • Language interpreters.
  • Prepare charrette materials, which may include:
    • Participant handouts with information about the project, basic goals of the charrette, the agenda and event guidelines.
    • Follow document accessibility best practices.
    • Moveable tables & chairs in case activities involve movement or splitting into groups.
    • Large-format printed maps and photographs of the project site to help attendees orient themselves to the project site and its surrounding context.
    • These may also be used as the physical foundation for sketching or model-building exercises.
    • Overlays or transparent paper to allow the sketching of different design scenarios on top of reference maps and images.
    • Building blocks or modelling clay to allow participants to build out and form their ideas.
    • Boards, easels, large easel pads, markers and sticky notes to gather feedback from participants, record ideas or display data and information.
    • Audiovisual equipment, including projector, screen, cords, speakers, microphones and computer.
  • Develop and distribute outreach material to invite the public to the charrette.
    • In addition to standard outreach channels, directly contact organizations and groups that may be particularly interested in the topic.

During

  • Welcome and Introductions
    • Provide a sign-in sheet to collect names and optional contact information of attendees to share project updates.
    • Welcome participants and share with them the productive engagement event guidelines and a brief overview of the project.
  • Understanding the Context
    • Present existing conditions, any previously gathered stakeholder input and build consensus around the participants’ understanding of the project area and project’s purpose through the sharing of their perspectives, concerns and priorities.
    • Provide time for questions and answers.
  • Brainstorming
    • Generate ideas and solutions for the project and discuss them in small groups. This can be done through guided, structured activities such as sketching, model-building or quick note-taking. Provide appropriate materials for the selected activity.
  • Refinement and Feedback
    • Have each group present initial ideas gathered and receive feedback from the rest of the participants.
    • Refine the ideas based on feedback. Additional activities, like visual preference surveys or polls may be used to gather different types of feedback to further refine initial ideas.
  • Summarize and Envision
    • Together, participants should summarize ideas and concepts, then identify common themes and priorities to develop a vision for the project. If more than one vision is developed, it is important that they be distinct from each other so that feedback is focused.
  • Presentation and Review
    • The group will present summaries of their refined visions and receive feedback from other participants.
    • Staff should clarify next steps and actions once presentations are completed.
  • Next Steps and Closing Remarks
    • Summarize the concepts and ideas found during the charrette.

After

  • Following the completion of the charrette, digitize input collected when possible. For example, take photos of all materials to document any public input provided by participants and transcribe notes and next steps for distribution, if necessary.
  • It is recommended to save all hard copies of material (maps, boards, paper rolls, posters, etc.) until the end of a project in case another charrette needs to be done, or if staff need to reference the feedback gathered.

Resource considerations

Cost: Moderate

Costs associated with charrettes include fees for venue rentals, material procurement, printing and any participation support.

Time: Moderate to High

Planning charrettes can take several weeks to a few months, depending on the size of the project. The charrettes can last several days, spanning four to six hours each day.

Capacity: High

A whole team will be needed to plan and host charrettes.

How to make it more inclusive

  • Simplify visual and written materials by using clear, simple and inclusive language, images and maps with recognizable community landmarks and street names.
  • Identify any language access needs in advance and consider providing participation support.
  • Consider using 3D elements like building blocks, simple models and figurines to help guide visioning exercises for visual and tactile learners.
  • Consider hosting charettes at different times of day/days of the week to accommodate different schedules and in a location that is familiar, convenient and comfortable for community members.
  • Invite community organizations and other stakeholder groups to send representatives to participate to increase the range of perspectives and ideas.
  • Conduct interviews before the charrette to better incorporate local ideas, issues and needs into the charrette process.
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