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O P I N I O N
Bringing it all together When it comes to large projects that affect a lot of people, a multi-pronged communications effort is the best way to bring stakeholders together.
W hen planning regional infrastructure projects, getting the right amount of engagement from the right people – and not just those in the immediate project area – can be challenging. Limited turnout to an initial meeting can not only cause future roadblocks. It can be disheartening for officials and organizers wanting broad public participation.
Mark Benson
❚ ❚ Achieving equilibrium among cities so all voices were equally heard. ❚ ❚ Attracting participation from travelers within the broader region who may live outside of the immedi- ate area of the project, but who use the interchange regularly. To solve these challenges, the project team “During the public meeting, the project team used an online surveying tool to measure the effectiveness of each of their communication efforts.”
So how do you get everyone affected by the project to participate in the planning process? For this case story out of Ramsey County, Minnesota, we’ll look at how one county and three major metropolitan communities worked together to coordinate communications tied to the improvement of a busy metro interchange that carries 20,000 daily users. Though attendance at public meetings typically ranges in the 50- to 60-person range, the first public meeting for this project was attended by more than 230 people. Challenges to the success of this initial public meeting for this project included: ❚ ❚ Getting three cities, each with different goals and stakeholders, aligned to one solution.
Kristin Petersen GUEST SPEAKERS
See MARK BENSON & KRISTIN PETERSEN, page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER June 26, 2017, ISSUE 1206
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