“Holding Space”

“Through the practice of holding space, you serve as a container for which the healing and transformation can take place.” (chopra.com)

I’ve been thinking about the idea of “holding space” a lot this week. To me it means being intentional about a space and what it’s used for physically and, importantly, how it is used by people mentally and emotionally. In the planning world “space” tends to be physical in nature. We think about places. When a community holds space, the physical place has meaning and what happens there is transformative. In that space the community is creating, remembering, celebrating, grieving, healing, growing, sharing, identifying, expressing values. How can planners support these spaces? Ask the community what they want and need in this space. Be open to community choices. Get comfortable with the idea the space may be used temporarily and then may change. Support the art that happens there. Listen.

-Julia