Michael Gallerani, Brockton 21st Century Corp.

The concept of thoughtful design is about understanding people, their goals, and their problems.

The principle of Appreciative Inquiry considers the flow between Discovery – best of what is and what can be, Dream – what might be, Design – what should be, and Destiny – what will be.

Thoughtful Design and Appreciative Inquiry can brought together to form “Thoughtful Community Planning” to shape a long range community plan.  In Brockton that is exactly the path that is being followed.  Community Planning shapes communities around the people that will live in or visit-the community. Every good public steward, whether they are a volunteer, a member of the municipal professional staff, an appointed official, or an elected decision maker should always think in terms of the best of what is in the community. The goal should always be to build on the good, and eliminate the bad. From there it can be discussed what can be. The concepts are basically simple.

Harnessing the dreams of planners and decision makers and bringing them into the discussion is the difficult part. Community leadership should always be asking “what if?” those simple two words can unleash dreams, dreams that can be spoken about and integrated into the desired outcomes. In Brockton the Mayor’s Economic Summit that was held earlier this year and the series of focus group meetings and planning workshops that are currently being held are great “what if” tools that will provide the community, the total community, an opportunity to witness first hand and have a voice in the planning and development process. Design (planning) is the road map that gets us from the dream to the outcome.

A community, especially a City as diverse, both economically and ethnically, as Brockton, must have clarity about the desired outcome, or Destiny. It is during the planning that adjustments can be introduced and decisions made. Each decision is a small step in building a great community that will be the place where the young want to raise their families and the old will want to live, and decision-makers will want to invest. It is where anyone should feel comfortable

Consider how much thought and effort goes into the design of our everyday spaces. Unique spaces that are the restaurants where we dine, stores where we shop, movie theatres, supermarkets, and retail stores that are all built around specific design principles. The goal of the designers and developers is to create places that are both visually appealing and user friendly.

The same holds true for community design. Each building, street, and public space should be thought of by the planners and designers in total. The spaces and flow of the people using a variety of transportation methods and with a diversity of destinations must be considered and done while trying to make a statement to the community through the exterior design of each component. Color, textures, materials, and public art and streetscapes are important elements in a total and thoughtful community plan and design. In Brockton, we are striving for that outcome. 

In Thoughtful Design the end-user becomes secondary to the design of the building. End-users are likely to change numerous times during the life of a building. By designing the building to fit a community profile rather than the specific need of a tenant, the building becomes a complementary element in the community, while sustaining itself for a variety of users over the course of its useful life. Imagine the flexibility that such buildings offer and how much less debris needs to be disposed of if facades were not torn off and replaced every time a tenant changed. Thoughtful Design is a simple approach that asks us to consider the end of a product’s life before it is created.

Planning sustainability makes it easier to create public spaces and collateral elements that serve the greater area. Rather than limiting the thinking to a single building or cluster of buildings, the approach can be more holistic whereby Building A is thought of in relation to Buildings B, C and D, as well as the sidewalk in front, the public parking area nearby, the green space down the street, and the community center, school or library that may be nearby or across the city. That is the approach underway in Brockton, not just in our downtown, but throughout the city, along Main St., in the outlying commercial areas, the potential entertainment district (baseball stadium, conference center, proposed casino resort, hotels and complimentary uses), health care district, industrial areas, and the regional shopping mall.

By preserving the uniqueness of the community and providing for users of public spaces while continuing to build strong local economies that support municipal services, provide employment opportunities for residents and import spending, community planners and decision makers are employing Thoughtful Community Planning.

It is more than an idea or concept; it is an attitudinal shift that can fundamentally change the way we plan and build Brockton as a city. The true value of natural resources is understood and acknowledged. Planning a community thoughtfully is taking the long view and understanding the generations of residents – both present and future. In turn the community evidences a quality that business decision makers will want to be part of, bringing investment and new job opportunities. Visitors always feel welcome in a community that is well planned and shows a commitment to the greater good. Their spending is new money that grows the local economy.

A growing economy is the means necessary to continue the cycle of building a community that can become the best it can be. Growing a local economy may be as simple as the revival of the downtown, or becoming home community for a major employer (and purchaser of local goods and services). Think about it if you were investing your life savings in a new venture or you were the decision maker for a company looking to move or expand, where would you rather place your money, in a community that allows things to just happen or the one that is based on a thoughtful approach where everything makes sense. Brockton is working toward becoming that City.

Michael Gallerani is the executive director of the Brockton 21st Century Corp., Brockton, Mass.