For the past year, we been working with our friends at Studio G Architects on the modernization of Corcoran Park, a 156-unit affordable housing development owned and operated by the Cambridge Housing Authority. The project is still in the feasibility phase, and Studio G has been busy completing existing condition surveys and conceptual options. SHED Studio is the tenant engagement consultant on the project and our role is to coordinate and facilitate a variety of workshops and events with the current residents at Corcoran park to understand their experiences, hear their ideas and obtain feedback. This is a journey that will last a couple of years, and it is great that CHA supports this long-term engagement process.
We are often invited to be the community engagement consultant on a project, and people always ask us to explain our process. While we have a big bag of tools and strategies, the engagement approach for each client is unique and customized based on their particular needs and desires. However, we do have some guiding principles that help us make sure we are staying true to the intent of community engagement.
Here are our 10 tips for community engagement:
We start with an understanding of what the outcome for the engagement process is intended to be. Is it to solicit ideas? Obtain feedback? Generate excitement? Hear concerns? This helps inform the specific strategies and tools that we use.
Who is the “community” that we will be engaging? Beyond age, ethnicity and culture – we find it really important to understand who will be at the table and how we can ensure that the greatest number of voices can be heard.
We take time to plan each of the engagement events in advance. We work with our community partners to make sure that the invitations are sent with plenty of notice. If possible, we check out the space to test acoustics, natural light, temperature, layout and seating.
We have a clear but flexible agenda. We know that events don’t often start on time, and that we might need to edit or shorten portions of the schedule.
We encourage our community partners to invite a diverse group of people so that we can hear a variety of voices. This can be challenging because usually a self-selected group of people tends to attend and speak out at community events. Hence, we try to create multiple means for people to participate so that we can reach out to those whose commitments and experiences might deter them from engaging.
We know that people will most likely speak out of their self-interest. We are prepared to listen and hear conflicting ideas. We also know that there will be detours into unrelated topics. We do our best to write down everything during the event, but not to solve or edit issues during the workshops.
We remember that community engagement is an exchange between groups of equally important but different expertise. While as design professionals we bring a certain knowledge to the table, community members and other constituents are experts in their own connection to the project or issue at hand. We try our best to learn from this expertise that participants bring with them.
We try to bring a mix of media and materials to our workshops. Borrowing from the Multiple Intelligences theory, we know that people process information, create and express themselves in many different ways.
We plan for a long-term relationship with the community. If possible, we encourage our partner to include multiple sessions over several months during the various phases of the project. But if time and budget don’t permit a lengthy engagement, we at least try to report back to the community about what we heard and how that will inform the project moving forward. This is a critical step!
Finally, we remember that a public meeting is different from community engagement. Our purpose for community engagement is to involve the community in idea generation, decision-making and implementation of projects, and consequently in the long-term sustainability of the outcome. Public meetings are held to engage a wide audience in information sharing and discussion. They can be used to increase awareness of an issue or proposal, and can be a starting point for, or an ongoing means of engaging the public. When done well, they help build a feeling of community.
Did we miss anything? Let us know!