Community planners have compiled an impressive playbook with strategies for nearly every situation where the community voice should be heard. This edition of On Common Ground explores the wide range of techniques being employed to gather those voices and use the sentiment of those conveyed to build and update our ever-evolving built environment in a way that considers the experts—the people who live there.
In This Issue
There is a greater chance of project success if one employs the “it-takes-a-village” approach to visioning all aspects of growth, small or large. But how to best engage the village?
Toolkits, techniques, high-tech and non-traditional/diverse community engagement help to make planning about people.
Planning at various scales involves appropriate community input strategies for each.
Working with communities to plan projects that matter to them.
Avoid the sins of the past by getting meaningful input from marginalized people.
The pandemic had its benefits, one of which includes the increased use of high-tech methods to boost community engagement in planning efforts.
Newer methods aim to reach a more diverse and broader group.
Business Improvement Districts use various community engagement efforts to shape the economic vitality of downtowns.
How to manage community engagement under adverse conditions.
Community feedback isn’t valuable unless it’s informed input.
Western Pennsylvania associations collaborate on cohesive regional strategies.
