Browse Content: Tool, facilitation & dialogue

Visual Preference Surveys (VPS) are tools to help communities establish a common vision of what their localities should look like by asking participants to rate their preference or dislike of selected images of the community.

MetroQuest is an integrated 3-D scenario planning software platform, designed to produce powerful visual displays as well as substantive information on scenarios, proposals, and tradeoffs. It is designed to substantively engage people in planning.

Photography or video contests invite members of a community to submit photos on a certain topic, generally community character or special places, to collect different perspectives on how residents see the community's heart and soul.

The Common Ground process focuses on identifying and working from areas of overlap and consensus in people's viewpoints, rather than focusing on differences and disagreements or necessarily striving for consensus.

A blog is a type of website usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or media. When blogs focus on communities and planning they can be powerful tools for up-to-date information sharing.

Open Town Hall is the most widely used public comment platform for governments. Open Town Hall differs from other web-based discussion platforms in catering to government, ensuring that the dialogue is legal and civil.

Asset mapping is the process by a community inventories its assets and capabilities. The process can take many forms, but is a positive way of identifying both strengths and gaps and identifying a plan for moving forward.

Guided Visioning is a process that allows participants to open their minds and create a vision of the future of their community and the necessary steps to manifest it.

The Discovery Process is a community exploration method based on observing and talking to people in their natural daily routines. After "Discovering" the community's character, this process culminates in creation of a vision.

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a community process and methodology focused on positive change and identifying community assets. AI can be adapted for use in a wide range of community events, projects, and long-term planning processes.