DIY Workshop FACILITATOR GUIDE CYCLING PLAN UPDATE Prepared as part of the Public and Statekholder Engagement Program for the City of Burlington Cycling Plan Update February 2018
About this Facilitator Guide Burlington is in a time of change as the City grows and shifts from a suburban to an urban community. As the City grows up or intensifies in its urban area, it recognizes the need and opportunity to offer an excellent cycling network and associated facilities that are accessible to those of all ages and abilities. The City is taking a sophisticated approach to increasing density around existing and planned transportation infrastructure. The process of developing the Cycling Plan provides an important opportunity to engage the public and key stakeholders in the process of creating this culture change. A key component of the project is an extensive stakeholder and community engagement program designed to raise broader interest, awareness, and support of cycling and help shape the future of cycling in Burlington. This Do-It-Yourself Workshop Facilitator Guide and accompanying Participant Guide have been designed to help you get the conversation going. DIY Workshops are one component of the City of Burlington s community engagement on the Cycling Plan. With these guides you can hold informal conversations wherever is most convenient for you at the family dinner table, at the coffee shop with colleagues, at a neighbourhood meeting or other community gathering. The Facilitator Guide includes tips and instructions for leading and moderating a conversation with community members. It also provides instructions on collecting the feedback shared by your group and submitting it to Lura Consulting as part of the engagement process. The accompanying Participant Guide includes various discussion questions to spark conversation and obtain feedback about the future of the cycling in Burlington. It also includes informational resources that will help everyone have a well-informed discussion. So gather your friends, neighbours, or family together, and let s talk! - 1 -
The Basics Who is the DIY Workshop Guide for? What is the purpose of the conversations? Where will the conversations take place? How long will the conversation take? How do I get started? How will the information that I send you from the conversation be used? Friends, families, neighbours, colleagues, and small groups (2 to 10 people) interested in talking about the future of cycling in Burlington. To hear from community members on what they think about cycling in Burlington. Wherever is most convenient for you! Some ideas include: Make some tea/coffee and sit with your neighbours at the kitchen table Get together with friends or colleagues at the coffee shop Sit around a table at a neighbourhood meeting At the end of your regular book club night As part of a regular meeting with a group or organization that you participate with (e.g. recreational activity, Rotary, committees) The conversation could take anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes, depending on the size and nature of your group. The following pages provide instructions for conversation facilitators from inviting people to your group conversation, to what to do with all of the feedback. We would like to collect the ideas and feedback that you raise about the Cycling Plan as part of the city s engagement process. Your input will help us understand the range of community perspectives regarding cycling in Burlington, and any issues that need to be addressed. - 2 -
Tips for Workshop Leaders Thank you for deciding to lead a group in a conversation about the future of cycling in Burlington. As the conversation leader, your job will be to: Lead the conversation, and keep an eye on timing; Help discussions run smoothly and ensure that everyone who wants to speak has a chance to talk about their ideas; Keep an environment of openness and respect so that all participants are comfortable sharing ideas; and Collect responses and feedback and send them back to Lura Consulting for consideration. Here are a few tips to help you in this important job of getting the conversation going. Create a welcoming atmosphere thank everyone for coming, introduce yourself if the group doesn t know you, and generally keep the mood warm and inviting for group members to express their opinions. Set the stage for the conversation clearly explain the purpose of the conversation and why the City of Burlington wants to hear from community members about cycling. Listen and remain neutral listen to what participants have to say, this is their opportunity to voice their opinions. Please take notes of the group s feedback and comments and you can encourage the participants to fill in the Participant Guide if they want to provide individual feedback. Emphasize that there are no right and wrong answers everybody is different, and everyone will have a slightly different perspective. It is important to emphasize that everyone s voice counts, and there is no need to worry about stating a wrong answer. Reflect the mood you want to see be positive, open-minded, and have fun with the experience! - 3 -
Getting Started Pick a location, group, date and time. Think about where you would like to hold your conversation and who you would like to talk to. See page 2 for ideas. Invite your friends/family/colleagues. Use whatever means you normally use to communicate with your group by phone, by email, by text. The accompanying Participant Guide has more information about the project that you can pass along so that everyone knows what this conversation is all about. Get organized. You will need pens, some paper, and copies of the Participant Guide. Activity Tip: Icebreakers to Get the Conversation Started While the people you have gathered for your conversation likely already know each other, every conversation needs a bit of a warm-up or ice-breaker to get it going! After you have welcomed participants, introduced yourself, and given a few details about the purpose of the meeting, here is an example to get you started: Ask each person to give their name and state what they like most about living in Burlington and/or where they like to cycle in the city, if at all. - 4 -
Introducing the Topic and Leading the Discussion It would be helpful to give a brief overview of the Cycling Plan and why the city is seeking feedback on the future of cycling in Burlington. Contextual information can be found on pages 2 and 3 of the Participant Guide. We suggest that you begin the conversation by sharing this information. Once participants have had a chance to review the history and map provided, work through each of the discussion questions on pages 4-8 of the Participant Guide and record notes on the feedback and ideas shared by each person. Key Messaging Project Name: A City that Cycles Project Descriptor: Because getting around your city should be easy and convenient no matter how you choose to travel, the City of Burlington is creating a new Cycling Plan that will guide the future of cycling infrastructure in the city. Over the next few months, you are invited to help design the Cycling Plan by sharing your thoughts and ideas about what would improve cycling in Burlington. Objectives of the Cycling Plan: Build upon the current cycling network and identify missing links to develop a grid of on-road cycling facilities. Identify key barriers to cycling and investigate strategic opportunities to improve the cycling experience. Develop a network of facilities that are considered comfortable by all users and skill levels. Review existing cycling facilities and compare them to best practices in other municipalities. Provide guidance on the design of cycling facilities that is consistent throughout the city. Identify a list of priority network improvements for implementation. Develop a strategic action plan that guides the short, medium and long-term implementation of the cycling network. Why Does Burlington Need a Cycling Plan? Burlington is at a unique time in its history. In the past, growth has meant the development of new neighbourhoods but growth in the future looks very different for Burlington because our city has very little room left for traditional suburban-type development. Instead of growing out, Burlington City Council has made the decision to grow up and intensify in key urban areas. This direction, approved through the city's Strategic Plan in April 2016, will enable Burlington to curb sprawl, protect the rural area and make efficient use of land and infrastructure. At the same time, Burlington continues to grow. The 2016 Census data shows Burlington grew by 7,535 people between 2011 and 2016 - a 4.3% overall growth rate. The Places to Grow mandates that Burlington plan for a population of 193,000 by 2031, however, the city will reach this population number within the next few years. As the city plans for future population growth with documents like the proposed new Official Plan and Mobility Hubs, it must also plan for how people will move through the city. - 5 -
Over the last 30 years, Burlington's transportation network has accommodated growth by building more roadways. This strategy is no longer sustainable. The city does not have the space to build new roadways and the financial cost to maintain a larger network of roads is significant. A 21st century city is built around a different transportation model, one designed to provide people of all ages and abilities with more travel choices for things like walking, transit and cycling. Wrapping Up The Conversation Before wrapping up the conversation, thank everyone for taking the time to share their thoughts and make sure to collect any written comments that participants would like to be submitted as part of the group feedback. When submitting your group feedback, please include the Cover Page provided on page 7. You may remind participants that the deadline for submitting feedback is Feb. 23, 2018. More information on additional ways for community members to provide input can be found at: www.burlington.ca/cyclingplan Feedback can also be submitted online, here: https://luraconsulting.mysocialpinpoint.com/citythatcycles#/ Please submit all comments and feedback received during your conversation by mail, email, or fax to: Melissa Gallina Community Engagement Coordinator Lura Consulting mgallina@lura.ca t: 416.410.3888 ext. 714 f: 416.536.3453 614 Concession St., Hamilton ON L8V 1B5-6 -
Feedback Submission Cover Page When submitting the written feedback recorded from your group conversation, please include this cover page so that we may follow up with you should there be any questions about your submission. Facilitator Name: Facilitator Email Address: Facilitator Telephone Number: # of Group Participants: Date of Group Conversation: - 7 -