Trying to please everyone will grind your project to a halt. Use these strategies instead to build consent and get things done.
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“[The] urgency to move fast is in conflict with the speed of trust, and the pace that actually allows for input from everyone who’s affected by these decisions.”
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We can’t simply delay good public engagement until after this prolonged pandemic. Here are four strategies for connecting in a safe, meaningful way.
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A lot of bad public engagement sets the impossible goal of identifying the community’s “vision” for a place by asking people about their preferences—usually with questions they’re ill-equipped to answer. There’s a better way.
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Community consensus sounds nice. But, as a final standard for planners, it ends up supporting the status quo rather than challenging it.
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A lot of bad public engagement sets the impossible goal of identifying the community’s “vision” for a place by asking people about their preferences—usually with questions they’re ill-equipped to answer. There’s a better way.
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Most public engagement is “worse than worthless.” But it doesn’t have to be. These 5 basic steps will lay the groundwork for a community where residents truly guide the future of their city.
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When we let leaders make all the decisions behind closed doors, we not only risk a bad outcome—we also miss a chance to learn more about our neighbors’ needs and concerns.
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The story of a neighborhood-led effort to address blight on Detroit’s East Side.
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Here’s what happened when a passionate community advocate in Detroit listened to what residents actually wanted, rather than imposing his will from the outside.
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Local leaders must challenge the status quo around how we build our cities. Here’s how to bring colleagues and civic officials around to your position.
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Data, expert studies, and best practices abound for planners and policymakers. But they’re no substitute for humbly putting people at the center of our cities’ investments and attention.
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If we’re serious about reorienting our local government towards the urgent needs of people, it’s not enough to invite them to a “table” they neither own nor control.
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The four “gears” that drive a strong community in normal times are the same ones that will move towns and cities forward after the COVID-19 crisis.
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Sometimes the best way to imagine what a Strong Towns revolution could look like in YOUR community is to hear what it looks like in someone else’s. Don’t miss this short webinar with one local movement that has been generating some of our absolute favorite success stories of 2019.
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In the age of Nextdoor and Facebook, many have (understandably) lost faith in the humble neighborhood association. But visit the oldest neighborhood association in Denton, Texas and you’ll discover why they can still play a big role in building strong towns.
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The most successful companies iterate. Before they go “all-in” on a new product, they prototype, test, learn and adapt. If only there was a similar process cities could use before committing massive resources to something that may not work. Oh wait, there is! In defense of the much-maligned pilot project.
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Strong Towns member Austin Taylor—Parking and Sustainability Coordinator for Provo City, Utah—shares how you can use tactical urbanism to create safer streets, including how to plan your intervention, how to get local government involved, and how to use your intervention to create lasting change.
Greg Wright—Executive Director at CREATE Portage County—shares how you can foster creative (and financially resilient) communities where you live, including how to inspire creative residents, how to demonstrate the economic impact of creativity, and why you should root all initiatives in a “small and smart” way.
Strong Towns member Ben Harrison shares his experience serving on a citizen advisory committee and why you should run for something in your own community, including how to pitch your vision to city staff, how to introduce Strong Towns principles, and, how serving on these committees can help you feel closer to your community.