Effective and authentic inquiry is often a process that we need to relearn many times.

What makes a good question?  The kinds of questions we want to ask for generative inquiry have the qualities of being:

  • Personal (Tell us a time when you experience an emotional response to your neighbourhood?)
  • Open (Start the question with What, Why, Where, How, When, Who?)
  • Appreciative (Framed to draw on the positive)

How to ask good open ended questions that invite genuine input is an art. Einstein suggested that a powerful question is many times more powerful than a ready answer. Staying in the question long enough can help us get beyond where we are stuck and lead to real breakthroughs!!

Three simple rules (or principles) for applying Integral City Inquiry Intelligences might be these:

  1. Ask what’s working (and not) and co-generate a vision for the city’s contribution to the planet.
  2. Frame your questions to create an integral city and community plan.
  3. Keep asking “who else should be here?” when implementing and managing the city plan appropriately at all scales in the city.

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This blog is a prologue to the Integral City webinar conference  City 2.0 Co-Creating the Future of the Human Hive . We are inventing a new operating system for the city.  Click to get more details re the Free Expo and eLaboratory membership  scheduled September 4-27  2012. You are invited to attend and participate.