What does “mediation of space – making of place” mean to you?
If a comparison is made with, say, the American Planning Association strapline “Creating Great Communities”, they have a message that is clearly understandable to anyone, is positive and might even be measurable.
The reason I ask is that on my trips, from conversations with the membership, the RTPI strapline is regularly questioned, in particular, the “Mediation of Space” element, which seems counter-intuitive and very difficult to explain, not least to the occasional journalist. In this 21st century age of communications, where the profession is regularly under scrutiny, might we try and discover a message that more effectively reflected what we, as a profession, are about?
My last week ended with Philippa and my attendance at the West Midland Ball in
The photo above shows, from left, me with my wife Philippa, Sue Manns and Ian Dove QC.
This is my second visit to the RTPI WM, and they are a challenging and lively bunch, with clear ambitions to see a change in the quality of development in their region. The Region has a very clear identity, one that, as an Institute, we should seek to promote and celebrate.
When I next go up, our HQ communications team will offer some ideas on taking this issue further.
We met lots of members and their guests but it was a particular pleasure to meet a Young Planners married couple – the first winner of the Young Planner of the Year award, Julie Morgan, and her husband, Mark Walton, the Chairman elect of the WM Branch. I wonder if we have any other YP couples. In my inauguration address, I mentioned well known planners whose children had taken up planning. It would be nice to know where a planner had married a planner!
On the Monday, I represented you at a meeting hosted by the sadly about to retire, CEO of the Commission for Rural Communities, Graham Garbutt, where the RTPI, TCPA, LGA and other bodies representing the rural areas are seeking to prepare a Prospectus for Rural Communities that seeks to redress the balance of attention given to urban areas.
Mathew Taylor MP, whose excellent report on rural areas is about to receive a Government response, is a member of the CRC group and is an outstanding champion for the rural cause. The RTPI supports his proposals and I believe that the CRC Prospectus will provide a real opportunity to offer a multi body approach to rural community engagement in planning for our countryside areas and communities.
Finally, a small team of officers and members held the second of what will become a regular series of meetings with senior civil servants at DCLG. We commenced this programme with an open agenda and a broad purpose, on top of other arrangements, of improving professional member communications between the mother department and the Institute. One of the RTPI’s current campaigns is to promote the application of resources to delivering the LDF programme quickly, especially in the current economic climate. The DCLG is already supporting the acceleration of the LDF programme at regional level and we considered how best the RTPI might sustain that objective through our structures. John Baker was there as Chair of the Development Plan Network and offered a clear insight into both the availability of skills and processes but the need for greater investment at the local authority level. The RTPI will continue to offer a leadership role to our members and their employers and, in my regional visits, expect me to be promoting this issue.
A quieter week this one and a good thing I visited
Martin
Good call, Martin! I have always had difficulty with the 'mediation of space' item and I am delighted as Pres. you have raised the issue. The APA strap is clear and direct but I would suggest that we are about a wider context than communities. 'Places' is fine; it's the 'mediation' bit which is problematic, as you say. It suggests tribunals or marriage counselling and I think we need to be clear about being on the side of strong environmental values, challenging the unfettered operation of a development industry which so often produces to the lowest common denominator.
ReplyDeleteI think it's fine as it is - mediation has a clear meaning and aptly describes an important part of what planners do. If one definition of mediation is "reconciliation of two opposing forces" then that also describes what Chris is alluding to with his fair comments about the development industry. I'm against dumbing down the work of the Institute more than it has been over the past few years and dumping our strapline for something catchy and redtop would underline these declining standards.
ReplyDelete