Digital engagement is the latest buzz when it comes to public participation. If your town is thinking about diving into the digital realm, consider these six questions.
Thinking about using digital engagement for your next public process? Do you know what important conversations to have before diving in?
Pete Peterson, executive director, Davenport Institute and Alissa Black, investment principal, Omidyar Network work with cities and towns looking to adopt digital tools and improve decision-making processes. Sharing success stories on a recent CommunityMatters conference call, Pete and Alissa highlighted a handful of key questions to ask when thinking about digital engagement.
They recommend conversations that cover process design—ask "Why are we engaging the public?" Discussions about outreach, like, "Who visits our municipal website?" Considerations for engagement outcomes—"Are these the conversations we’re looking for?"
Click through to the full story to find the full list of questions, along with the call notes and recording.
Read the full story: 6 Key Questions to Ask for Successful Online Public Engagement
A Massive List of Tools for Digital Public Engagement
Here are 50 tools for online engagement. These digital platforms can help local government consult, collaborate with, and empower citizens in planning decisions.
When Conversations Turn Ugly: How to Understand Online Dialogue
Imagine that public meeting that explodes in heated argument. You've likely seen the same thing online. Learn about tools for analyzing online public engagement.
The Good and the Bad of Planning Websites
Students review municipal planning department websites in cities with more than 50,000 people to identify strengths and weaknesses. This post shares examples of the use of websites for information sharing and engagement.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Maryland local governments examine if they should have more power to raise property taxes
Maryland’s housing market is out of reach for the majority of moderate-income residents.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
NYC DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades
The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello