Comics are a popular and accessible medium that can be used to mobilize knowledge and engage the public on a variety of issues. By presenting stories using both text and images, comics afford high visual literacy and have long been recognized as a pedagogical tool. They offer several advantages: the pace at which information is taken in is determined by the reader (unlike classroom lectures or film); difficult concepts can be simplified with visuals; they can be translated easily to other languages; and they offer the opportunity for better representation of marginalized groups within the storyline. For these reasons, planning research, education, and practice could benefit from using comics as an engagement tool and knowledge mobilization device.
This presentation will provide a short overview of the potential of comics in planning. Then, we will focus on the development of “Moving from Cars to People,” a recent example of a comic developed to communicate ideas about transportation and land development. The process of comic creation will be described, including working with planners, professional illustrators, story editors, and language translators. We will provide free electronic copies of the comic to the audience.