This is in contrast to the method the DDA used in seeking public input for the Connecting William Street (CWS) study. The DDA did not seek ideas about how best to acquire public opinion. In fact, the DDA obstinately ignored recommendations that their CWS survey was fundamentally flawed in its failure to seek advice on public space, downtown parks and green space. The CWS project was meant to lead to amendments of the downtown plan, but did not achieve that goal because of the general recognition that the CWS recommendations lacked support among residents and among Council members.

Good public process is so important to democratic decision making. Good public process isn’t a question of how many residents participate in a survey. Instead, it is a question of how well did the survey present the issue. There are few questions that receive unanimous support. A good public process insures that we have a good approximation of how much support any idea actually has.

A friend sent me this video [link] from Barcelona last year and I was just reviewing it. It is wonderful (a flash concert of Ode to Joy) but I was also impressed with the space in which it occurred – imagine if we had a gathering space like that where both planned and spontaneous public events could occur. I just don’t think Main Street quite substitutes.