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How We Work
Our Community Engagement Model
Throughout all stages, our greenway projects use a cycle of engagement that prioritizes community voice and input throughout planning and design. Drawing inspiration and resources from International Association of Public Participation (IAP2), we created a process that allow the team to ask a variety of audiences throughout several phases; we “Ask” for input, “Align” community feedback with project plans and “Act” through advancement of the project from phase to phase.
How We Engage
We do our best to meet people where they are and build civic trust, involving the public in the project because we know they are the experts on their communities and their investment and ownership are crucial to long-term successful projects. The methods we use to engage community stakeholders depend on the project’s impact on their homes, businesses, and lives. We actively gather feedback from community members that helps shape the plans and designs for the greenway and we keep everyone informed of the project’s progress.
We work with our partners to help design and implement a civic engagement process that can range from door-to-door neighborhood chats, mailings, open house events, pop-ups, community advisory committees, volunteer events, free programs and meetings with local leaders.
Then we align that feedback with other components of the project, including technical feasibility (utilities, zoning, safety), project costs, partner agreements, land ownership or permissions, timing and more. We work to manage expectations and find the best way forward with as much positive impact as possible. We continue to ask and align as we move forward through the project’s planning, design and construction activities.
We also engage the public on our overall strategic plan every five years, ensuring we’re moving in the direction the community desires. Read our Engagement Strategy, a roadmap of how we do this, completed in 2018 (and soon to be updated again).
Share Your Feedback
Whether you have a question about a project in planning, a concern about something, want to report a fallen tree that needs clearing or just a story from your experience out on the greenways, please let us know! We will often direct you to or consult with our partners to get you a good answer, since they are the ones who operate and maintain the greenways. We appreciate your eyes and ears on the greenways and in our community, thanks for taking a minute to check in!