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Connect with a Group

Current Groups

As we all know, developing and expressing complex ideas (especially those which represent the welfare of many others) can be facilitated by working with others. Future Melbourne highly values collaborative work and will seek to support and promote it where possible. If you would like to use this wiki for coordinating your group efforts, please do so. For instance you could use the wiki to document your group's research, ideas and discussions. You could even use the wiki to coordinate local or online 'meetups' of your members.

The bottom line is that the more coordinated the participants are who share your interests, the more likely your interests will be adopted in the final, Council approved plan - many voices speak louder than one, and, many hands make for light work.

If you are interested in starting a special interest group, here are some suggestions:

Create a group, even if you're the only member, just to get things started.

People will be more likely to join a group that already exists than start one off their own bat.
We will advertise groups on the home page and other places once several have been created, in order to help attract others to your group.

How to create a group

Use the following format when creating a group or group pages:

YourGroupNameGroup - for your main group page. Create your group page like you would any other page - click the link in the left hand navigation Create New Page, enter your group name as specified above, then select GroupTemplate from the Use template drop-down list. Click Create new topic.
YourGroupNameGroupSubtopic - for all other pages relating to your group (Also created using the Create New Page link in the left hand navigation.)
For example EnviroTransportGroup / EnviroTransportGroupMeetups
Using this format will help us promote and support your work because we can then use nifty coding to display links to all groups here and there, and even build tools for you to help better coordinate your work. (It will also help you remember the names of your pages!)

Read relevant discussion pages and invite participants who you think might be interested in your group.

We all like to be recognised for our work and this makes for an ideal way to connect with others with similar interests.
This will also give you an idea of what topics are of interest to others and help you attract others by fine tuning what you focus on.
And of course you might also invite your friends and colleges who have yet to post to this wiki.

Maintain an encouraging, open and accommodating attitude to those who contribute to your group.

Developing a city plan involves the consideration of a great many issues from a wide variety of perspectives. While someone may share an interest with you, they are likely to have a different perspective on it. Accommodating and even encouraging this diversity is very good for your group as it adds depth and weight to your work as it becomes more representative of more perspectives.
Groups can accomplish extraordinary feats when the members feel their efforts are valued by their fellow group-mates!

As you learn from your own group experience, share it with others.

Developing a city plan in a wiki is a very new thing in the world and we can all learn from your experience, so please do share. You might even create a 'GroupGroup' - a group for sharing information and experience with the groups that form here. Actually, wait a second... there, I've done it, please post to the FutureMelbourneGroupsGroup page if you want to be involved in discussions with Future Melbourne and other groups regarding how to better support your group's endeavours.