Beyond NIMBYISM

[Mahesh P. Butani]

Managing Change through 'Good Neighbour' Community Contracts.

 

Most of us, at one time or another, have faced situations which involve 'change'.

Some changes are good and welcoming, while some clearly worse... and then there are some which attempt new good but end up threatening the older good already achieved.

Vibrant communities in large cities are built on a collective understanding and acceptance of this phenomenon - for large communities depend on constant change to remain vibrant and relevant, or they stagnate.

Much of our ambivalence to change springs from uncertainties of outcomes, and most often it is our fears of the outcomes that shape our responses to this phenomenon.

As many here are aware - the residents of Ward 3 are presently experiencing deep ambivalence towards the recently announced move of Mission Services to the former Mohawk College property on Wentworth Street North.

 

I had an opportunity over the last week to follow a few diverse responses to this impending change - all mostly driven by fear and anger of real and perceived change to an established residential neighbourhood of a ward which has been unfairly red-lined and branded as Code Red by the media and the education establishment.

When community needs are defined in isolation by institutions, and programs or disrespectful branding are thrust onto neighbourhoods without rigorous community consultation, it is inevitable that such unilateral community building ventures devolve quickly into embittered and inflexible battle lines between residents and institutions.

 

I was fortunate to be present at an informal meeting yesterday between a traumatized local resident and representatives of Mission Services to address this issue - a meeting which in my view exemplifies a truly unique and collaborative approach to mitigating a potentially volatile situation which could consume many Ward 3 residents who have suddenly found themselves under the ominous shadow cast by the new home of Mission Services.

What could evolve from this meeting is a new approach to managing change through a "Good Neighbour Community Contract" - which is founded on mutual respect and trust between all who are working hard to rebuild our city.

 

This is not a done deal as yet, for it is entirely dependent on how Mission Services responds to this innovative path - leading towards rebuilding trust and respect between neighbours, and neighbourhoods.

Good Neighbour Community Contract

This prototypical "Good Neighbour Community Contract" in my opinion could be a positive approach to mitigating potentially traumatizing events in other communities facing similar situations - and could be developed as a powerful tool to turn the ambivalence generated by 'change' into a win-win for all in our diverse communities.

True collaboration as above between institutions and residents - if it does materialize, could bring us closer to ideas that are best expressed in: 'Share Circles' - an approach which has a better chance of fixing what is really broken in our community.

Mohawk, McMaster and our media could also borrow a page in community engagement from Carleton University to set up a more transparent and collaborative approach to community rebuilding - which could ensure that travesties like the 'Code Red' branding of re-emerging neighbourhoods does not occur again in our city.

Mahesh P. Butani

Note: All residents of Hamilton's numerous neighbourhoods and community organizations are invited to share their views on this unique approach to community engagement - an approach worth pursuing, when our other options are to be continually at war with ourselves.

 

Reference:

• The Nimby Revenge

• The Dead Zone