Involving the community

Photo: from the archive of Antakalnis garden, Vilnius

Involving the community

Gardening is a community action, thus in order to keep it sustainable and long-lasting, integral involvement of community is necessary. This way, both the work done will be more efficient and the identity of the city and the neighborhood will be built, creating high-quality places that leave a strong and unique impression. These spaces and their effect are not the result of random work, but rather purposeful and systematic activities. The related projects that have already been implemented allows stating that creative placemaking is the most reliable and useful method for doing so. Using it as the basis for involving the community, the community becomes an active, open group of people working to encourage a constructive dialogue and working towards a specific goal. Community involvement must first begin by answering the following questions: - Is the proposal and the idea authentic to the chosen location? - Will the involvement of the widest possible range of social groups be ensured? How? - What publicity measures will be used to ensure maximum involvement? - Have you identified which individuals in the community are the core and can act as local ambassadors for your project? - Have the needs and expectations of all groups in the community

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Photo: Laura Petruškevičiūtė Ideas Garden in Pilaitė, Vilnius been taken into account equally? - Has the potential of the community been identified: who does what, what interesting is there to offer? - How will the sense of shared ownership be communicated to the community? When doing this is most appropriate? - What physical barriers could prevent community members from attending meetings and how to best respond to them? - What soft and hard infrastructure can be used for consulting?

Answers to these questions or a search for them will help to: - identify community goals and expectations; - get acquainted with a vision and a potential; - involve key project sponsors; - connect a group of people through psychographics; - create a medium for the spread of creativity which will develop the space; - enhance the impact on more members of the local community and other stakeholders.

When thinking about assistance which you may get, take help, which you can get from certain stakeholders, into consideration:

The municipality and the eldership can provide information about local infrastructure and human resources, to mediate between businesses

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Photo: Panos Georgiou and communities, to assist in finding financial resources and obtaining various permits, recommendations and other letters.

Budgetary institutions (schools, libraries, museums, etc.) can provide information about the local context and people, publicize the project, disseminate it, and help involve various community groups. Business can provide financial support and help to publicize the project. Nongovernmental organizations can share project writing experiences and ideas. Similar creative initiatives can help exchange good practice and share specific project implementation experiences. Local creators can be a source of creative ideas, help with leadership and ensure project continuity.

Art of Hosting techniques

Respective Art of Hosting techniques can be employed to promote involvement and build a dialogue-based culture: The Circle Way is a technique to start and end a meeting. In the

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