Husam Al Waer organized a symposium on the practice of community design charrettes in the UK. Hina Hirani presented research from interviews with 25 stakeholders involved in charrette projects. Stakeholders felt charrettes were better than conventional planning at understanding user needs through engagement. However, views differed on whether feedback loops were closed and communities truly included in decisions. Charrettes facilitated collaboration but timelines were mixed - fast processes could miss issues without proper preparation. Successful charrettes required skilled facilitation and leadership to run events well and guide complex changes. For charrettes to drive lasting change, capabilities must be developed, engagement improved, leadership and trust strengthened, and commitment sustained over time.