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Urban planning is the discipline of creating shared, public spaces. It could easily be mistaken for large-scale facilitation by design!

Peter Munthe-Kaas can speak confidently for both disciplines, as a seasoned urban planner turned facilitator. He has such a unique perspective on what it means to create a beautiful, shared space and the missteps we can take in designing collaborative, communal experiences. I am so grateful that he was willing to share this perspective with me and the workshops work audience.

In our conversation, we explored the friction between safety and vulnerability, trust and openness, and design and environment. In an episode that was full of opposites and challenges, Peter navigated the discussion with balance, curiosity, and insight.

Find out about:

Why Peter has gradually come to depend more on depth and space, than tools and processes
How ‘naming’ our current state gives us permission to be present, rather than looking ahead
The parallels between urban planning and facilitation – two disciplines that are about people, before anything else
What it means to practice ‘invitation’ in a workshop and how we can lead the group by example
Why stepping back from a group in flow is an act of true facilitation
How Peter harnesses curiosity to bring his groups together

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Questions and Answers

[01:02] When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?

[01:57] What key skills have crystallised for you over the last 20 years?

[03:20] What do you mean when you talk about tools and environments?

[05:25] Can you share a little about your previous life in urban planning – and how it impacts your work now?

[08:41] What can you do to break the atmosphere in a room and replace it with an inviting or experiential one?

[10:40] Are there differences between urban spaces and the room in which a workshop is held?

[15:53] Is it enough to just create a beautiful space, or do we need to commit to improving the conditions within that space?

[19:31] How do you translate your expertise in urban planning into the facilitation work you do today?

[23:06] Is there a risk in showing too much vulnerability – can it break trust in your authority?

[25:57] How can we move past the illusion of agreement?

[30:06] What can ‘naming the current state’ bring up in a group?

[32:17] How do you know if/when to go deeper with a group?

[36:35] Can you ask a positive, free-flowing group to consider what friction or discomfort sits in the environment?

[41:18] What makes a workshop fail?

[48:09] Do you have a favourite exercise or process?

[58:39] Is there anything you wanted to bring to this conversation that we haven’t yet discussed?

[01:01:44] How could the community support you with your mission?

Links

Peter’s website

Experimental Cities

Relational Spaces

Connect to Peter:

On LinkedIn

Support the show

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You can now find the podcast on Substack, where your host Dr. Myriam Hadnes is building a club for you to find fellow listeners and peers: https://myriamhadnes.substack.com/

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