Engaging the public on the complex topic of local planning poses significant challenges. To explore how a well-crafted communications strategy can help overcome these hurdles, we sat down with Mark Prichard, the Head of Communications for West Oxfordshire, Cotswold, and Forest of Dean Councils to talk about their recent success. This interview equips local council communications officers and planners with the tools to navigate these challenges and foster productive community engagement.
Faced with the daunting task of allocating $250 million as part of the Rams settlement fund, the City of St. Louis and the Board of Aldermen embarked on an ambitious digital community engagement strategy to involve residents in the fund allocation process from the start. Recognizing the limitations of traditional...
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Participatory budgeting — or, in plain English, involving community members in the allocation of public funds —is a powerful tool for cities to empower communities and co-create more pleasant, accessible, and equitable cities. All the benefits of community engagement in one process Participatory budgeting is the unsung hero of community...
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Digital community engagement can complement offline engagement, but it doesn’t replace it. Offline participation methods are still widespread, as they’ve proven their value for many communities by allowing for deliberation and debate. Aligning online and offline participation We recently launched our online workshop feature to ensure cities can host town...
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There are a lot of participation methods to choose from once you decide to run a community engagement initiative. Ranging from in-depth offline deliberation to direct online voting, it can be overwhelming to decide which method to begin with. In online (or digital) participation, there are six common methods and...
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If community members are taking the time to visit your community engagement platform and share their ideas, you should take the time to follow up on their input. By communicating actively, you can help build trust with your community. What does follow-up mean in community engagement? For the record: following...
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Setting up a community engagement platform is no small feat. It requires defining clear goals, juggling deadlines, and coordinating with multiple stakeholders, some of which are outside of the government. Efficient internal organization is therefore key to the success of your community engagement efforts, and yet it remains one of...
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