Abstract:

Globalization has given rise to problems that planners and designers struggle with. It has not only changed the
way people do business, but it has affected the very concept of community, altering its identity and separating
people and the natural environment from each other. Technology has been used to replace direct experience and
stewardship of our land. The traditional design methodologies we have inherited from the modernists are
inadequate. In order to fully understand and address these new challenges it is necessary to envision a design
process that can alter people’s values and beliefs, encouraging them to reconnect to the communities in which
they live. Community design is able to provide some of the tools to achieve this ambitious goal.
The participatory design process for a Community Center in the small town of Westport, California proves the
effectiveness of community design in dealing with concerns over economic development, loss of identity and
social capital formation and may offer insights and lessons for designers worldwide. These include the
importance of native wisdom over expert knowledge; the value of careful listening and accurate storytelling; the need for increased interaction between people and nature as a way to strengthen people’s sense of self; and the importance of a design process that is holistic, rather than piecemeal.