Our team uses these tools to frame constructive dialogue with white planners and decision-makers, especially highlighting how and why inclusive community engagement is important among people of color and low-income populations, stakeholders most frequently marginalized from planning and decision-making processes.
Our field experience has shown that the wider the variety of world views and lived experiences informing a community visioning, planning, or decision-making process, the more likely it is that the resulting outcome — whether a built project, plan, or investment — will address the needs and opportunities of even the most marginalized community members. Meaningful community engagement can take shape in a variety of ways and requires time, flexibility and sustained investment in mutually trusted relationships.
