In this chapter we introduce the topic of this module, make a first sketch of the context and explain the contents of the module. Including 3 templates with suggested timelines & assignments for your optimal learning experience.

The strategic power of the software is often underestimated. In large transformation areas, with lots of different things going on at the same time, especially software activities can build the relations, enthusiasm and trust you need for ongoing collective power. Individual actions may seem simple and light, but in their combination they can tie your whole project together and push it forward. In this chapter we explain how these combinations can be made for maximum impact.

This chapter gives you a list of tips to create an effective urban transformation narrative. There is a significant role for storytelling in urban transformation. You often need to define a new point zero in an area from which you can focus on a new future. This is not only important from a branding perspective to attract new target groups. It is perhaps even more important to change the perception among existing stakeholders because you need their active engagement to get the transformation off the ground. This requires another, more urgent layer in your story. You are not only convincing people to “consume” the area, but also to co-produce it. Including a checklist for building your own local transformation narrative.

In this richly illustrated chapter we are diving into one of our best-known projects: the Glamourmanifest that we launched in Amstel3 office district in Amsterdam in 2011. This was a light-hearted and slightly unorthodox local campaign, with a serious message underneath. It helped to create an instant buzz in the area and start the conversation with all the different stakeholders. It was an umbrella for a whole range of other activities and helped to later evolve into a real collective platform for the area’s transformation.

Community building and engagement are core activities of collaborative urban development. A substantial, diverse and engaged local community is a basic condition that needs ongoing attention. How you approach building a community like this depends on the existing situation in the area. Are there active networks, platforms or other communities already or do you need to start from scratch? We walk you through both scenarios and share a lot of practical do’s and don’ts from our own experience. Including a checklist for community building from scratch.

Initially your community building process has much focus on one-on-one and on open campaigning, one reaching out to targeted stakeholders and key figures and the other reaching out to anyone who feels addressed. Talking to all those different people gives you a lot of valuable information which is crucial for all visions, plans and activities throughout the years. We show you how to build a proper database from the start so you can keep the overview and manage the growing community efficiently. Including a manual for setting up your own local database.

As community building takes time, you need to keep everybody on board by showing progress and tangible results. These can be very small, but you need to remain visible and in contact with the community regularly. A mix of ongoing on-site actions, social media presence and free publicity helps you to achieve this. How can you design simple actions that generate positive buzz and energy, bring people together, and show to the outside world that something interesting is happening? Including a checklist for creating effective guerrilla actions on site.

As your network and trusted position in the area solidify, you can start to organise workshops with more serious transformation content on the agenda. Initially, you can take topics from your own first analysis and database, knowing that stakeholders have an interest in them. With a diverse group of participants everybody brings in their own perspective, whether it is from everyday experience or professional expertise or in-depth knowledge. How can you organise these workshops, what do you need to keep in mind in the beginning and how do your build up their scale and actionability over time?

In order to build and effectively manage a multi-stakeholder community, you need to build a network of interconnected communication channels that allows you and your network to stay informed, respond and share content. Different stakeholders meet in different places and are reached via different channels. And sometimes they have their own channels. How to utilise and connect with these different channels and locations – online and offline - for maximum outreach and engagement, both in size and in diversity? And how to bring everybody together in a place where they can meet, engage and act collectively? Including a canvas multi-channel communication.

Initially your communication may need to focus on engaging the local community to join in on the transformation process. And then at one point, the process starts rolling and bigger projects get realised. Then you will need to attract new target groups to the area as well. This adds a new layer to your storytelling, not only triggering and engaging the existing stakeholders to embark on the transformation adventure, but also branding the area to the outside world as a place where you want to live or work. How do you manage this interesting new dynamic of different initiatives, stories and messages – both the small locally oriented ones and the big ones reaching out a lot further, making sure they also benefit from each other?