Community: City of Berkley
Population: 10,000+
The Berkley Master Plan update was originally proposed to include a robust community engagement strategy with a variety of in person meetings, activities, and attending popular city events. The objective was to engage community stakeholders, business owners, and residents in conversations asking what they like about Berkley now, and what they want to see in the future. In response to the drastic changes in 2020, we transitioned our engagement approach entirely online. This included an eight part webinar series, surveys, social media polls, zoom meetings, a virtual open house and more. We stretched our creative muscles by implementing more direct lines of communication with staff and consultants. By thinking outside the box, we gained the respect and trust of the public which will result in a Master Plan that reflects the realities and desires of Berkley today, and its goals and priorities for the future.
Replicability:
This project can be replicated by communities utilizing online services and social media interactions with the public. We found that residents relied upon the city website and social media for community information, even more so in 2020. Therefore we adapted and utilized this form of communication more effectively fostering better relationships with our residents. This included an interactive webpage with a plethora of information and graphics to explain common planning terms, uses of maps, and timelines of approval. We also emailed and posted scheduled updates from staff and consultants. This type of project can be replicated in any community so long as they have the time, energy, commitment, and dedicated staff to work together and successfully manage the new relationships forged and strengthened in unforeseen circumstances.
Creativity and Originality:
By focusing our engagement efforts to an entirely online format, we had to get creative on how we informed the public on the need for a Master Plan, how we asked for feedback, as well as how we communicated the progress and next steps. While we had been using email and social media to alert the community to big events or happenings, we relied upon our online presence to reach as many people as we could, and provide them with informational pages to answer questions and negate possible misunderstandings. By providing these informational pages, we were able to facilitate constructive conversations about a plethora of hot button topics without spending time explaining the need for the Plan or the differences between planning processes. This gave us the opportunity to focus on the present and the best way to move forward. Several of our online engagement activities became a teaching tool, as we were able to provide context to each topic. In the 8-part webinar series that became a teaching tool, we were able to focus on a specific topic each week. For example: Parking has long been a controversial topic in our community. During one of the webinars, we focused solely on this issue. The webinar was an opportunity to provide background information and historical data, while also putting it into the present context. This allowed the public to view the presentation, and ask questions related to the topic at the drop -in sessions held later that week. We could go on and on about how we had to get creative while facilitating this project. The cancellation of planned events and activities required us to think outside the box and explore other options besides traditional public engagement outreach. Our community responded and appreciated the engaging efforts that went beyond the original scope of the project.
Community Impact:
The online community engagement strategy had a significant impact on the community. The Michigan Planning Enabling Act requires municipalities to review their Master Plan every five years. This is to ensure that the adopted goals, objectives, and needs of the community remain reflective of the people who choose to make the city, village, township their home and or place of business. The Berkley Master Plan was last updated in 2007, with amendments adopted in 2012 and 2015. A lot has changed in the city and throughout the country since 2007 and it was imperative to update the document as we moved into the next decade. From the very beginning of this process, we were focused on garnering as much public input as possible. The sudden shift away from in person discussions, activities and events allowed us to recalibrate our methods and focus on an online platform. This brought people together in the virtual space, and allowed those who would be unable to attend in-person meetings to still provide insight and feedback on the plan that will shape the future of their community. While doing this, we also fostered a lot of goodwill with the public. We communicated our actions and steps throughout the process so that the public was aware of the progress being made, as well as what was happening next. This has kept us connected with our business owners and residents during a time when we were separated and not able to meet face to face.
