Public Engagement
Facing Contention: 21 Tips to Detox Public Engagement
Forces are aligning to increase polarization and tension in public dialog, and planners are increasingly caught in the middle. A recent workshop with 100 engagement experts resulted in a free eBook to help planners detox their public involvement.
Advice for Repairing Relations Between Planners and the Public
Planners and the public must improve their relationship, according to this article.
Prince George County Zoning Rewrite Is Greener, Less Car-Dependent
Now open for public comment, a proposed rewrite to the county's zoning code embraces green buildings, lower parking minimums, and increased public engagement by developers.
MacArthur Genius’s Mission: Enliven the Planning Process
Damon Rich wants constituents and professionals alike to get excited about the bureaucratic slog.
Plotting a Persuasive Story? Better Have a Happily Ever After
All stories are purposeful. They’re meant to entertain or inform or inspire to action. If you're a storyteller for a placemaking initiative, Ben Brown says you'd better have a happily ever after.
How to Improve Charrettes
In participatory planning, there is no planning without several events known as charrettes, which you probably already knew. Less likely to be common knowledge, however, is how charrettes can live up to their promise in the planning process.
Changes in Store for Seattle's Design Review Program
Seattle's Design Review Program, in place since 1994, could see substantive changes in the near future.
Public Engagement Helping Pittsburgh-Area Bus Rapid Transit Proposal Take Shape
The Port Authority of Allegheny County is moving forward on a proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) system that connects Downtown Pittsburgh with Uptown, Oakland, and Wilkinsburg, with branches to Squirrel Hill and Highland Park.
A Concerning Lack of Tribal Participation in Tacoma Tidelands Planning
The editors of the Tacoma Weekly speculate that someday governments might uphold their agreements. They don't expect the Tacoma Tideland sub area plan to be one of those times.
Unlikely Public Engagement Tactics Get Results for Small Towns
Four small cities across the country are seeing positive results with non-traditional public engagement strategies like bouncy castles, beer coasters, and ball games.
Horsey! Grassroots Public Art Connects People, Past, and Present
Never underestimate the power of whimsy in the built environment. A genuine and unconditional spirit of welcome and inclusion can be found in the most unexpected forms of participatory art.
Participatory Budgeting Catching on in the U.S. and Canada
A new report from Public Agenda tracks the spread of participatory budgeting, and provides guidance for implementing such processes for maximum benefit to public engagement.
The 3 Most Common Community Engagement Mistakes
Planners, like any other professionals, live in a kind of bubble. Those charged with dealing with the public run the risk of expecting too much from residents as they design community engagement activities. Here are some of the most common mistakes.
The Arts District and the 'Missed Opportunity' of Planning in L.A.
Downtown L.A.'s Arts District transformed from an industrial sector to a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood. Now, the community's attempts to protect their vision from haphazard development illuminate Los Angeles's broken planning process.
Pierce Transit Lets You 'Build Your Own Transit System'
For feedback on a system overhaul, Pierce Transit in Washington is asking residents to design their own transit system through an interactive survey.
A Critical Take on Public Engagement
Zelda Bronstein makes plenty of points likely to inspire disagreement among planners in this argument calling for a better form of public engagement—one that's substantive and integral, not an afterthought.
Compromise and an Engaged Public: Lessons From Copenhagen
Copenhagen is often cited as the world’s most livable city—a city characterized by bicycles and shared open spaces. But the road to get there has required compromise among politicians and an active and engaged community.
Collecting Comments on a PDF Planning Document on the Web?
How do you collect public comments on a web-based PDF planning document? It should be simple. But it isn't.
Los Angeles Searches for Improvements to the Much-Maligned Pershing Square
A series of public outreach events are being held in Pershing Square to determine how to make the park more engaging. Live music and fewer physical barriers to entry are among the ideas suggested.
The Next Frontier of Engagement: Civic Innovation Labs
The recent growth in civic innovation in city halls throughout the country has led to taxpayer investment in private sector organizations addressing social issues, but do these programs really lead to tangible, broad, citizen benefit?
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
