Community Engagement

By focusing on their common interest in working toward the public good, the gap between faith-based institutions and the planning processes of their communities can be bridged.

October 2, 2014 - Milton Friesen

Booming development and shifting demographics are driving updates to Music City’s land use policies. Civic leaders and planners say they want residents to steer the process, which has meant getting people’s attention in some unlikely ways.

August 6, 2014 - Colby Sledge

As part of the Vision Zero initiative for traffic safety, the city has hosted a map system that allowed citizens to report safety issues encountered on the street. With the reporting period now over, you can still peruse the findings of the exercise.

August 5, 2014 - StreetsBlog NYC

Michael E. Young reports that residents are upset about notification regarding the approval of two subsidized housing projects in the city of McKinney, located on the edge of the Dallas metropolitan area.

July 7, 2014 - Dallas News

Through the first six months of 2014, some Planetizen posts proved less than enticing to our readers. Instead of dwelling on that distinction as ignominious, let's consider how these neglected few might provide insight into the planning discussion.

July 7, 2014 - James Brasuell

Starting in 2015, seven of the nine seats on the Seattle City Council will be elected by district. The new system has inspired some to rethink the city's neighborhood district council system.

April 30, 2014 - Crosscut.com

In a familiar refrain for anyone who's lamented the veto power of NIMBYs or the added cost of citizen engagement events, one writer expresses concerned about a recent succession of developments shot down by community groups in the Twin Cities.

April 28, 2014 - Minneapolis Post

Once a developer provokes the ire of the community surrounding a proposed development and the word NIMBY gets bandied about, chances for a mutually beneficial solution are slim to none. Not so with the One Riverside project in Philadelphia.

April 24, 2014 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Despite the investments required of a design charrette, Robert Freedman makes the case that the process can save time and money on complex projects by way of three primary benefits.

April 24, 2014 - Robert Freedman

A research team at MIT Urban Studies and Planning, led by Susan Silberberg, released a paper examining “the interactions between placemaking, community participation, and the expanding ways communities are collaborating to make great public places.”

April 21, 2014 - Project For Public Spaces

A recent article for PlannersWeb called “10 Things You Should Know About How the Public Feels About Development” provides helpful data and insight into the type of opposition encountered whenever new development projects face public scrutiny.

April 9, 2014 - PlannersWeb

Most millennials and Gen Xers are either too busy or too disengaged to realize how the future of their hometowns is being shaped by people much older than they.

March 27, 2014 - Vancouver Sun

With cities seeking to involve diverse voices in city-making to get beyond “the usual suspects,” Vancouver urbanists Brent Toderian and Jillian Glover examine how cities in their region are finding new ways to increase civic participation.

March 5, 2014 - Brent Toderian

A new Internet-based game hopes to expand the allure of civic engagement by making planning playful. Trial runs in Detroit and Salem, Massachusetts have already shown promise in attracting new voices to the planning process.

March 29, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Looking for new ways to explain best placemaking practices? Today's guest Shaker, Amanda Thompson, has a novel take: dance. Complete with video!

February 17, 2013 - PlaceShakers

Luis Alberto Moreno explores how Facebook and Twitter are improving cities in the developing world, as the governments of many Latin American municipalities take advantage of the explosive growth of social media to engage with citizens.

November 14, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

What does it mean to truly involve the public in planning processes? Neeraj Mehta finds "too much placation, manipulation and tokenism in our engagement efforts," and identifies principles for collective problem-solving and shared decision-making.

November 1, 2012 - Next American City

If you want to know something about Davis, CA, don’t go to the website of the local paper or the city, go to DavisWiki, a repository of all things Davis, written by the public. Thanks to a recent grant, could something similar be coming to your town?

October 26, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

"Since the beginning of 2011, 180 bills restricting voting and voter registration have been introduced in 41 states. Over 70% of the electoral votes needed to win the 2012 Presidential election will come from states with new restrictive voting laws."

October 25, 2012 - Shelterforce Magazine

Zoning reform is a political campaign. Coder Susan Henderson talks about audience dynamics, with a special focus on how to communicate with property owners and the developer community.

October 2, 2012 - PlaceShakers