COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN SUSTAINABLE DESIGN: A CASE STUDY OF THE OBERLIN PROJECT by Amanda L. Goldstein Submitted to the Environmental Studies Program in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Honors in the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies at Oberlin College April 25, 2011 Advisors Cindy Frantz and Md Rumi Shammin ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to thank the individuals who participated in the interviews conducted for this thesis. I feel privileged to have gained the insight of these twenty members of the Oberlin community who so willingly gave their time and thoughts to the questions put forth to them. This experience has made me feel significantly connected to the citizens of Oberlin. I would also like to extend the deepest gratitude to Professors Cindy Frantz and Md Rumi Shammin for instructing me throughout the honors process. This thesis would not exist without their valuable insights into crafting an academic project. I thank them also for their patience, gentle steering, and willingness to collaborate in the midst of a very exciting and busy time for sustainability projects in Oberlin. Lastly, I extend countless thanks to my friends and family for enduring my unending fixation on the Oberlin Project and for offering extremely useful feedback and advice. Arthur Louis Lenahan III, Allie Hirsch, Bethany Younge, Jennifer Gaeng, Lauren Clark, Nils Realismo, Michael Balantekin, and Marsha and David Goldstein – you are all loved. i TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ v LIST OF ACRONYMS ................................................................................................... vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................ vii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 Citizens and the Oberlin Project ..................................................................................... 4 Thesis organization ......................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER TWO METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................... 7 Method one: literature review ......................................................................................... 9 Method two: participant observation ............................................................................ 10 Method three: interviews .............................................................................................. 11 Method four: analysis and integration .......................................................................... 13 CHAPTER THREE BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................. 15 SECTION I .................................................................................................................. 15 Social justice and sustainability ................................................................................ 15 A brief history of urban planning theory and practice .............................................. 20 The postmodern turn ................................................................................................. 23 SECTION II ................................................................................................................ 28 The Oberlin Project ................................................................................................... 28 Community, collaboration, and the Oberlin Project ................................................. 32 A brief history of planning in Oberlin, 1833-Present ............................................... 33 Contemporary planning in Oberlin ........................................................................... 37 Challenges to the Oberlin Project ............................................................................. 38 CHAPTER FOUR METHODS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING .............................................................................. 43 Problem-setting: creating support structures and tools ................................................. 45 Collaborative model: EPA’s Collaborative Problem-Solving Model ........................ 45 Direction-setting: creating a common vision ................................................................ 53 Collaborative model: Appreciative Inquiry ................................................................ 53 Structuring: community motivation, creating stakeholdership, and changing norms .. 57 Collaborative model: Community-based social marketing ........................................ 57 Conclusions ................................................................................................................... 62 ii CHAPTER FIVE CASE STUDIES .............................................................................................................. 64 Portland, Oregon......................................................................................................... 65 Portland’s Community Watershed Stewardship Program (CWSP) .......................... 65 Lessons from Portland’s CWSP ............................................................................... 67 Vancouver, British Columbia .................................................................................... 69 CityPlan and Talk Green Vancouver ........................................................................ 70 Chattanooga, Tennessee ............................................................................................. 72 A brief history ........................................................................................................... 72 Roots in sustainability ............................................................................................... 73 Chattanooga and Oberlin: a basis for comparison .................................................... 74 Success: The Chattanooga Process ........................................................................... 74 Remaining Challenges .............................................................................................. 78 Conclusions ............................................................................................................... 81 CHAPTER SIX ANALYSIS OF SURVEY RESPONSES ...................................................................... 83 Interview Constituents .................................................................................................. 83 Question 1: How long have you lived in Oberlin [or nearby]? ..................................... 85 Question 2: Why do you live here? ............................................................................... 86 Question 3: What role do you play or job do you hold in the community right now? . 88 Question 4: What do you know about the Oberlin Project? ......................................... 89 Question 5: What do you think about the Oberlin Project? .......................................... 91 Question 6: What is your vision for the development of downtown Oberlin? In terms of development in general, what is your vision for the city of Oberlin? ........ 93 Question 7: To your knowledge, how are Oberlin Project stakeholders including the Oberlin community? ............................................................................................... 95 Question 8: In your opinion, how do you think Oberlin Project stakeholders might include the wider Oberlin community in the future? .................................................... 96 Question 9: Would you be interested in getting involved in the Oberlin Project? If so, how do you think you might do this? ................................................................ 100 Question 10: What would you like to see included in the Oberlin Project that would contribute to the betterment of Oberlin economically, socially, and culturally? ........ 101 Question 11: Should the average Oberlin citizen play a role in the Project? If so, what should this role be and how do you envision citizens participating in the Project? ....................................................................................................................... 104 Question 12: How do you think the role of the community will differ in the design, construction, and post-construction phases of the Green Arts District part of the Project? What phase is most important for the community? ...................................... 107 Question 13: Are there any issues in the community (i.e. needs that are not met) that you think the Oberlin Project has the potential to address? ................................. 111 Question 14: Do you have any recommendations for who else I might interview? ... 112 Question 15: Do you have any more comments or questions? ................................... 112 Summary ..................................................................................................................... 113 iii CHAPTER SEVEN CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................................... 115 APPENDIX A - LIST OF INTERVIEW