Midweek Takes #2

6/23's small thoughts and links

I just wrapped working on a local political campaign.

It has been one of the most rewarding and galvanizing experiences of my life. I want to write a few sentences about field work, and in particular the diverse and unique challenges of engagement.

First, the cost/benefit of field work is challenging to assess. The traditional method of engagement for planners is the public meeting—a forum—which is a low-cost, slightly-higher-benefit tool that, in theory, alerts the public to goings-on within the department. In practice, the forum setting is an aggressive way to demonstrate state-sponsored market failures. Patrick Sisson says more here. The smaller your audience the more expensive each technique is, all the way down to door-to-door canvassing. It’s just so time consuming, but the potential for meaningful feedback is enormous. I think planning agencies should give a tougher look at how we’re talking to our neighbors.

Second, running a successful field campaign takes a ton of work and the…