Margaret Wilkinson gives keynote speech at DiverCITY conference in Poland

On 10 September Margaret Wilkinson, Head of the Planning for Real Unit, was a keynote speaker at the ‘DiverCITY – City for All’ Urban Planning Conference in Wroclaw, Poland.

Margaret spoke about shaping cities and neighbourhoods and the importance of involving the local community. Margaret’s message drew on the Unit’s experience of community working:

“We, at the Planning for Real Unit, believe that working out what is best for the neighbourhood depends on bringing together several kinds of expert knowledge.  On one side there are the “outside experts” – the planners, architects, housing officers, economic development workers drawn from the local Council and from specialist agencies.  On the other there are the “inside experts” – the residents, of all ages and from all backgrounds.  Each sees needs in a different way, although everyone shares the same common ground – the place itself.  Through working together, sharing knowledge and experience, listening and learning to each other, testing out different options it is possible to develop a realistic achievable plan that meets local needs.”

This Conference, funded by the EEA Grants,  was organised jointly by Norwegian (KS International Project, Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation, The Cities of the Future) and Polish partners (Ministry of Infrastructure and Development and the City of Wroclaw).

This article was posted in News.