Stakeholder Personas
What is it?
The Stakeholder Personas is an analogue role-playing method that enables participants to step into the perspectives of others. It consists of fictional personas representing key stakeholders, such as children, older residents, local business owners and representatives of public authorities. The adaptable persona cards refer to their characteristics, goals, challenges, and contextual details. Participants can adopt these roles during workshops or discussions as part of a role-play exercise.
Why is it useful?
Urban transformations often involve multiple stakeholders with conflicting interests. The Stakeholder Personas tool helps to explore and better understand the varied perspectives, needs, and impacts associated with urban interventions by allowing participants to experience the motivations, challenges, and priorities of others. This role-exchange method fosters empathy and encourages constructive dialogue. By increasing awareness of different viewpoints, it supports co-creation processes and facilitates negotiation.
Who should use it?
This tool is designed for two primary user groups: on the one hand, people directly affected by urban transformations, such as residents, business owners, and commuters, who can use the tool to better understand each other’s concerns; and on the other hand, decision-makers and practitioners who aim to incorporate diverse perspectives into the planning process and want to test how their proposed interventions would affect various stakeholders.
How to use it?
The Stakeholder Personas tool is used in structured workshops or participatory sessions. A set of persona templates is provided to represent key stakeholders that can be adapted to the context. Facilitators introduce the tool, assign roles to participants, and guide the discussions. Participants can personalise their assigned stakeholder profiles, engage in discussions from their personas’ perspectives, and collaborate to develop solutions. This tool can be integrated into other StreetForum participatory methods, such as the Storytelling Game and the Design Game.
This tool was developed at Mobilise (VUB).
Resources
Below, you will find our persona library. If you want to find out even more about a character, click to open the whole character sheet.
Persona library:
Lisa Lambert
Public Authority
Age: 52
Gender: Woman
Local Politician
“My commitment to our city’s future is building public spaces and offering public transport where everyone can move freely, safely, and sustainably.”
Mathias Jacobs
Public Authority
Age: 47
Gender: Man
Head of mobility department
“Let’s make city travel faster and safer by reducing traffic jams and speeding up public transport. Efficiency and safety are crucial!”
Anne Herbert
Public Institution
Age: 45
Gender: Woman
School Director
“Every child deserves a safe way to go from home to school. I want to advocate for better streets for our kids, where they can walk and play”
Sarah Maes
Local Business
Age: 60
Gender: Woman
Restaurant / Bar owner
“At our table, every plate has a story, and every sip tells a tale. Come join us in making memories that stay beyond your delicious meal”
David Nguyen
Local Business
Age: 38
Gender: Man
Marketplace Manager
“At our market, every spot offers a variety of flavors, cultures and traditions. We want to make sure all our customers can easily enjoy them”
Andrew Martin
People / Civic association
Age: 36
Gender: Man
Independent Worker
“Cycling makes me feel healthier and happier! That’s why I would like better bike lanes so my neighbors can feel safe trying it out”
John Smith
People / Civic association
Age: 71
Gender: Man
Retiree
“Change happens, but let’s make it good. Everyone should be able to park right by their home.”
Yassin Abibou
People / Civic association
Age: 25
Gender: Man
Kids’ Animator
“I wish the street was a safe place for all of the kids who are growing up and exploring their urban environment for the first time”
Sofia Garcia
People
Age: 14
Gender: Woman
School Student
“I would like more places to go out with my friends and family, and a nicer way to take my siblings to school”
Fatima Ahmed
People
Age: 26
Gender: Woman
Caregiver / Professional cleaning agent
“I want my kids to have good chances in life and to live in a nice and safe neighborhood”
Marie Dupont
People
Age: 74
Gender: Woman
Retiree
“I hope that the neighbourhood keeps its old feel, and is not taken away by today’s fads. It should remain the place the old residents recognise!”
Baloo
Other Species
Age: 6
Gender: Male
Pet dog
“I’m all for more wagging tails, sniffing around, and getting lots of belly rubs in the park”
Pinar
Other Species
Age: 4
Gender: Female
Pet cat
“For more places to explore, people to meet, warm cars to sleep on, and spaces to share with my cat friends”
Sylvia
Other Species
Age: 28
Gender: Female
Callery Pear Tree
“I love it when the sun shines, and I have plenty of little friends. I sometimes wish the surface of the road let more water through, because I’m thristy!”
Custom Sheet
Custom
Age:
Gender: Man
Custom Profession
If the characters here seem to miss someone, or if you think the local context needs something else, you can come up with your own characters!
Custom Sheet
Custom
Age:
Gender: Woman
Custom Profession
If the characters here seem to miss someone, or if you think the local context needs something else, you can come up with your own characters!