As most of you remember, Dalhousie Faculty Union was locked out by the university back in August, which led to a defensive strike that lasted almost four weeks. We were unable to communicate with our students since we were locked out of email accounts, and there are no universal social media accounts any of us could use reliably to get messages through, since we were also locked out of any “official” accounts. The university sent sporadic email updates to students, usually slanted towards the administration and assuring students that classes would start soon. The student council representing all students on campus, Dalhousie Student Union, held some events to inform students and ask them to come out in support of their faculty members. Most units also have their own student governments (e.g. the School of Planning councils for both undergraduate and graduate students), so many are not aware of or involved with the DSU.
I teach a first year introduction to planning in the fall term, which includes a series of short reflections on their readings. Most of the students are in their first year, but some take the course as an elective in their third or fourth year. When I was deciding on a topic for their final paper I wanted to integrate the lockout in some way. Their instructions for a 10-page (2500 word) paper were as follows:
- Choose one of the topic areas (e.g. urban redevelopment, community development/social planning, urban form and public health) and familiarize yourself with the case studies in the textbook and other readings on this topic. Using the case studies as examples, analyze how planners use data and participatory approaches to make important decisions. What are some of their successes, limitations, and failures? How could they improve?
- This semester started with a labour disruption that delayed the start of classes. The Dalhousie Student Union organized events for students to learn about and protest the actions of the university administration. This paper asks you to reflect on this event in relationship to planning theory and public participation approaches. Did you get involved in any of these events? How were you keeping yourself informed on the topic of the lockout? What does your experience of the lockout tell you about the average citizen and their ability and willingness to be informed and participate in processes that directly affect them? How do you think this affects planning in your chosen topic area?
Their responses were exactly as I hoped they would be, drawing parallels between flawed civic engagement processes and the university administration’s lack of consultation with faculty, staff and students. I include quotes from some of their papers here, with identifying details removed. Many students pointed out the lack of communication from the university:
“While this lockout is not an urban redevelopment project, it still demonstrates what happens when an institution fails to communicate clearly and involve its community in major decisions…Since Halifax is essentially a university city, the impact was significant since the student community and academic staff were left in a context of uncertainty, lack of information and lack of trust with the institution.”
“When authorities do not communicate clearly, people depend on rumours and social networks; without adequate information, the willingness to participate decreases.”
“Both teachers and students carried well justified concerns through this event and both felt, in many ways, excluded by the lack of public engagement…this lack of outreach to the Dalhousie community resulted in many students and teachers losing a level of respect and trust for the university, feeling that what mattered most to the school was financial gain rather than the proper education of students.”
Several used their own lack of engagement to illustrate how the typical residents might not engage in planning processes:
“My experiences show how barriers to involvement are social, not just technical. People engage when they feel included, capable and informed in ways they can help or manage…Barriers such as workload, unclear information, and lack of confidence can restrict involvement to the lowest levels of Arnstein’s ladder, where individuals are informed but not empowered.”
“Though I did not take part in the protests held by the Dalhousie Student Union, I periodically kept up with the (infrequently) published news updates. This experience offers understanding of the difficulties the “ordinary citizen” encounters in remaining adequately updated and engaging in governance activities that impact them. I contend that these levels of participation mirror those found in urban redevelopment: despite processes being formally accessible, disparities in awareness, conflicting priorities, and gaps in information hinder involvement.”
“Staying informed about institutional negotiations demands considerable time and energy, and the complex aspects of labour disruptions can discourage individuals from getting more involved. This trend reflects the difficulties encountered by planners, who frequently find it hard to draw in and maintain public involvement, even when planning choices have enduring and very localized effects.”
“At the beginning, people are eager to get involved and stay informed, but as time passes–and uncertainty or fatigue sets in–engagement naturally decisions. This drop in participation doesn’t reflect a lack of interest; rather, prolonged disruptions begin to interfere with daily life…Starting strong is valuable, but sustained participation is essential for meaningful, long-term progress in city planning.”
“I now have a better understanding of why many locals don’t participate in planning processes because of this experience. It is understandable that many individuals feel alienated from [x] consultations that employ technical terminology, complicated documentation, and strict procedures if educated university students with access to digital platforms find it difficult to keep track of information about a problem that directly affects them.”
Others draw parallels to the needs and opinions of diverse communities:
“These case studies demonstrate that participation is most impactful when it is culturally responsive, transparent, and accessible to community members. The Dalhousie lockout further provides a real-world example of how people access information, engage with institutional processes, and navigate their roles within collective decision-making. This event highlights both the possibilities and limitations of public participation, such as mobilization through peer networks, differences in willingness to participate, and the importance of clear communication.”
“Impacted individuals will try and voice their opinion whether or not they were invited to.”
“Engagement without data can miss broader patterns, and data without engagement can silence the very people experiencing inequity. The Dalhousie lockout mirrors these tensions in practice…Collectively, these examples reinforce the paper’s central argument that planners must blend rigorous analytical tools with trust-building, culturally responsive, and accessible engagement.”
Some students reflected on the larger patterns of public participation and planning processes.
“Similar to [x case] failures, both the Dalhousie Faculty Association lockout and the [x case] developments expose a structural pattern of institutional failure, as a result of weak collaboration, unclear governance, and the exclusion of key communities in decision making.”
“Across these cases there is an evident pattern that [x area of planning] relies on institutions that actively listen, collaborate, and remain accountable to the communities they impact. The Dalhousie Faculty Association’s lockout at the beginning of the semester mirrored these planning issues, demonstrating how social infrastructure begins to collapse when planning and decision making becomes secretive and lacks communal participation.”
The students definitely were able to tie their course material to the lockout in a way that illustrated some of the classic failures seen in civic engagement. The fact that many of them did not directly participate in events organized by the DSU and most had limited information on the lockout while it was happening gave them insight into typical planning processes in their own city, where even those most affected are somehow missing opportunities to get involved in major decision making processes.
Most of us struggle to engage our students, and first year students often do not enjoy writing. This assignment reminded me that there is value in developing these skills and teaching them that reflection is critical to urban planning practice. We continually aim to do better, and in order to do that we need to admit that current approaches may not be working well. DFA members may have understood that the university’s top down, sporadic communication was harmful to the entire community–but it’s another thing to see its impact on young people, many of whom had just moved to Halifax to start their degrees with us.
