3 Unfolding as a source of unanimity

Suppression of people’s involvement in the shaping of the environment is not only wrong, above all it is needless interference. Participation need not be threatening to administrators. It does not wrest control from the people who must have control. Rather, it is a humane process which — when done right — can allow people to consolidate their needs in a coherent fashion which helps everyone.

The fundamental process, when used correctly in the creation of a pattern language, allows people, one at a time and together, bit by bit, to focus on their communality, to sharpen it, make it precise. This can happen because the process allows people to establish just one pattern — one generic center — at a time. So the deep agreement which lies in people is given space, and comes to the surface. The wrangling and confusion which makes administrators so fearful, only follows from a wrong-headed approach to the process of building consensus.

#book/The Nature of Order/3 A Vision of a Living World/8 Forming a collective vision of a neighborhood#