Seminar with practical learning modules and a practical assignment for a real-world client About this course
When we meaningfully engage people in the work of government we can improve civility, foster community, increase trust and accountability, and solve complex or controversial problems. But when we engage people in ways that feel rote or hollow, we often see the opposite effects. URB432 combines both theory and practice to give you a nuanced understanding of all the elements of an effective public-participation process, while also exploring how these processes and tools can be designed to be more effective and inclusive. This is a community-engaged learning course.
What you’ll learn
- Explore the ways that public participation can contribute to enhanced civic engagement and the maintenance of a healthy democratic society.
- Learn how to design and implement a community engagement process, and apply this knowledge towards the creation of a project or report for a real-world client.
Course highlights
“You realize you are part of something and can contribute to something that actually might change the future of the city and can benefit a lot of people.” This is how one URB432 summer student described the community-engaged learning component of the course. Read more about how students tackled community engagement with City of Toronto planners.