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Direct Design Assistance: Block Exercise Video, 2007
The Block Exercise, developed as part of the Corridor Housing Initiative, provides a hands-on opportunity for community members to explore different development options and find out whether their development ideas are financially viable, has become one of the core activities of the CHI process. The exercise helps people understand the financial issues and tradeoffs a developer will be working with when considering options for a specific site. The goal is to give community members a greater working knowledge of what it takes to make a development project financially viable and to identify a range of preferred development concepts to help guide future development in the area.
In recent months, there have been many groups interested in replicating the Block Exercise in their own community planning work. Earlier in 2007, a short introductory video was created to explain why the process is valuable. The Design Center is in the process of creating a 30 minute how-to video which walks step by step through the CHI process. This includes the block exercise but also essential additional activities including creating a steering group, designing a work plan, providing information, and developing guidelines. It presents advice on a range of topics from outreach strategies to facilitation techniques. The video is meant to make the process transferable to others interested in replicating it in their community.
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