Activating opinion survey

An activating opinion survey is

• a method to reach citizen participation in planning processes;
• a method to determine risk, culture and ethics aspects in urban environments;
• helps to identify the security culture of the specific city/town/urban environment;
• supports security related urban planning;

An activating opinion survey aims for gaining information on residents’ views, attitudes and perceptions. It can be applied to issues on risks, ethics aspects and on cultural factors informing security culture. The methods further allows for encouraging the citizens to stand up for their interests and to participate in general and security related developing plans and urban development.

It is a good instrument in the light of

• the designing out approach
• the designing in concept
• etc.

Process description

• Residents are informed in writing about the actual survey in advance;
• Key individuals and residents are interviewed, material is evaluated and observations are made.
• Trained interviewers use an interview skeleton with open questions to do one-to-one interviews.
• The survey is evaluated and the results presented to the residents, with the aim of defining steps toward realization.
• Interest or action groups are formed with a view to this.

In contrast to most conventional surveys, an activating opinion survey is not a one-off event, but the kick-off to a fairly long-term process; so it involves a good deal of organization in advance and subsequent work.

How does it support in planning of secure public spaces?

An activating opinion survey addresses cultural and ethics aspects. The method is in particular suitable for finding out the interests and needs (in general and in cultural and ethical terms) of people living in a particular area.

The aim is to identify the residents’ fears, wishes and worries, and their perception of (in)security and risks. Participants are asked, what solutions occur to them, and how interested they would be in taking part in implementing the ideas in question.

Links and further reading

• Different participation methods and their use - Working document for the natreg-handbook: http://www.natreg.eu/uploads/podobe/NATREG_%20participation%20techniques_overview_trainingmaterials.pdf [2012-08-21];
• Participation & sustainable development in Europe: URL: http://www.partizipation.at/activating-opinion.html [2012-04-10];
• Standards of Public Participation - Recommendations for Good Practice: http://www.partizipation.at/fileadmin/media_data/Downloads/Standards_OeB/oebs_standards_engl_finale_web.pdf [2012-08-21].

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