Community Structure and Participants

Study Notes

Having a good structure is paramount to a community's success or failure.
A good community structure helps participants to live, build, be and play as a cohesive network.
There are four main elements in community structure: Participants, Organizational Elements, Physical Elements, and Production Elements.

Refers to those who actively engage and influence various aspects of a community, from planning and governance to social activities and economic development.
Participants are crucial for the successful functioning and growth of the community.
Participants actively pursue identification of their needs, take decisions and establish mechanisms to meet those needs.
A participant can be part of an internal sharing economy and can contribute to the community based on their shared work hours (SHAWOHO).
There are different classifications of participants based on the amount of time they commit to the community: Tribe members, Part-time Tribe members, and Vacation Investors.

Refers to a collection of people involved in pursuing defined objectives.
The organization encompasses division of work, aligning tasks towards the ultimate goal of the company.
Organizational elements concern the way participants interact with one another, the land, society, other international communities and the world at large.
All legal issues, protocols, and processes, as well as how participants live and work together, are organizational elements.
Edgar Schein, a prominent organizational psychologist, identified four key structural elements in an organization: Common purpose, Coordinated effort, Division of labor and Hierarchy of authority.
These elements are important in defining the culture of the organization.
Other critical organizational elements are integral to community structure:
- Shared work hours (SHAWOHO)
- Legal structures
- Protocols and processes
- Communication channels
- Decision-making processes

Involving participants in the planning process ensures plans have a long-lasting and stable constituency.
Residents possess intimate knowledge of their community's needs and conditions, which is crucial for successful planning.
Involvement from a range of stakeholders ensures multiple viewpoints are considered.
Community participation leads to enhanced support and compliance with the plans.
Participants feel empowered and equitable when involved in the process.
It helps to prevent and resolve conflicts effectively.
Promotes sustainability by taking into account the long-term impact on the community.
Transparency and trust between decision-makers and community members gets fostered.