The charrette event cannot be separated from the preparation and implementation phases for the total project. Therefore, it is not possible to budget for a charrette in isolation. The cost is completely dependent on project scale and complexity, how much preparation work has to be done, available resources, data collection, studies to be completed, and [...]

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Live Webinar: March 23, 2011 – 10am PDT Social media is a fast changing game. Stay up on the latest tools and techniques to improve public involvement and accelerate project implementation. Find out how to get more informed participants to get involved and stay involved throughout your project process. Hear from the experts on how [...]

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Everyone is talking about how to deal with shrinking project budgets. We know that charrettes save time and money in the long run by reducing costly rework, but they can require a sizable upfront investment. Some firms are beginning to cut costs by doing virtual charrettes. In a virtual charrette, an on-site core charrette design [...]

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1. Three Feedback Loops. One of the unique traits of the charrette is the series of feedback loops with all relevant stakeholders. Three loops are the minimum required to facilitate a change in participants’ perceptions and positions. Within these three major feedback loops, designs are created based upon a public vision, and presented within hours [...]

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How can you reduce the learning curve for charrette participants? If you have a complex issue like affordable housing or sustainable street design you may not want to wait until the charrette to start the discussion. Holding an educational event a month or two before the charrette can help reduce the time spent providing people [...]

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Announcing the NEW NCI Charrette Manager’s Binder The indispensable organizational tool for staying on track throughout the chaos. A charrette is a fast-paced and constantly changing event that is challenging to manage. A manager needs a tool to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. Based on the original manager binder developed by Bill Lennertz [...]

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HUD will soon issue a NOFA under the Sustainable Communities Partnership. The Partnership has identified capacity building for federal agencies and grant recipients in its list of priorities. NCI’s new project consulting program builds local capacity in collaborative planning through on-the-job training. Please e-mail us for more information.

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People say that you can’t really understand what a charrette does unless you have seen one in action. The NCI Charrette System: Stories of Community Transformation DVD is the next best thing to being there. This DVD places you into key moments within the seven-day East Fort Myers, FL charrette. Hear what participants are saying before and after the [...]

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Honestly, it can sometimes be a challenge to convince a project sponsor to use a charrette. First you may need to redefine the term. People in the community planning and development world use the word charrette very loosely. To some it may mean a one-hour meeting while to others is means a week-long event. One [...]

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Sustainability planning requires an extra effort to educate stakeholders before the charrette. The techniques and issues related to sustainability are often too numerous and too complex to deal solely within the charrette. Waiting until the charrette to start a community conversation about sustainability can leave you with a steep learning curve that can consume valuable [...]

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