Use a wide-angle lens

One of my wife’s hobbies is photography. She’s good at it. I never quite understand what she is looking to make the perfect picture. One thing I do know is the importance of the wide-angle lens.

The wide-angle lens displays a broader field of view than our vision. A photographer uses a wide-angle lens when trying to capture as much as possible.

The planning profession seeks to be the wide-angle lens for place development. Some call it the masterplan. But, I think the masterplan distorts what the planner is attempting to do.

Each person experiences their neighborhood and city differently. What you see is real. Yet, what you don’t see also exists right next to you.

When we draw up plans, it’s vital to capture as much as possible. The entrepreneur, retiree, CEO, mom, high school student, person without a home, and the lawn maintenance person sees things differently.

The essence of collaboration is getting as much in view as possible to create and implement the connected, thriving, and inclusive neighborhood and city everyone deserves to live in and pursue their purpose in life.