Public Participation: Co-design and Women Leading the Way
Public engagement. Civic engagement. Stakeholder engagement.?
All titular industry terms are dedicated to including the public in decision-making in projects. A core component of American Democracy is the ability of citizens to be actively engaged in the outcomes of their communities. While we commonly think of voting, there is so much more to being an engaged citizen than a vote.?
On the local and state level, there are ongoing opportunities to give feedback on everything from policy to street design to the development of public programs. The ongoing issue experienced from the side of residents and institutions leading public projects is reducing barriers to engagement. This is where intentional public participation really matters.?
But why is this even important? And who is actually leading the charge in creating intentional public engagement initiatives??
Public Participation is the Bridge to Liberation
According to Wiki, “Public engagement or public participation is a term that has recently been used to describe ‘the practice of involving members of the public in the agenda-setting, decision-making, and policy-forming activities of organizations/institutions responsible for policy development.’"
Including the public in this process is all about creating a more democratic society. However, the critical element missing from the definition of democracy is ethics, inclusion, and equity. Yes, our democracy and constitution speak of equality but this is very different from ensuring that our processes are led ethically, with inclusion and diversity in mind. Sadly, these are often afterthoughts.
Our fundamental thought on the co:census team is that co-design is the key to liberation.?
"Co-design is an approach to designing solutions that recognize the stakeholders that will ultimately be affected by that solution as problem-solving partners throughout the design process. Co-designing solutions with stakeholders are key to making sure that proposed solutions actually address the wants and needs of communities.
Since we’ve been indoctrinated into a culture of creating solutions for people instead of with them, a good first step into the world of co-designing solutions with communities is education. On the micro-level, this looks like going out into the communities you work with to better understand them. Begin building trust with stakeholders that can be a part of the design process in the future. On the macro level, educate yourself as to how to equitably approach this work.?"
Frameworks for Co-design & Engagement
Our team has spent years researching and working on public engagement and participation. Starting with my graduate social theory on the civic gap and developing from new research and feedback from our Ethics and RD Lead, Autumn Beaudoin , and CX Lead James O'Brien , we have developed two copyrighted frameworks for engagement.?
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Women Honoring These FrameWorks
In honor of Women’s History Month, our team at co:census is highlighting three women in urban planning & design, who are badasses and leading initiatives in public engagement in their cities. These women are using elements of our frameworks, developing new ideas to engage the public, and prioritizing the voices of their community to design outcomes.?
Lauren Drago, AICP, is the associate planning director for the City of Lynn. Previously, she worked on the economic development teams at the City of Somerville and the City of Cambridge. She holds an M.A. from the Tufts Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning program and a B.A. from Williams College. She originally hails from New Hampshire. Lauren actively worked to build out engagement plans in seven different languages, prioritizing language access in the diverse community of Lynn, Massachusettes.
Alicia Leite has been with the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) for 9 years.She was promoted to Supervising Transportation Planner in a new unit within that Bureau of Public Transportation focused on the Customer Experience. Alicia was also selected for Mass Transit Magazine’s 40 under 40, class of 2022. The program recognizes individuals for their industry contributions and who have shown a capacity for innovation, demonstrated leadership, and a commitment to making an impact in transit. Not only did Alicia lead the charge on CTDOT’s Customer Experience Action Plan, but she also participated in the co:census Transit Equity Learning Lab.?
Join us on March 8th for a Fireside Chat
On March 8th, we will have these three leaders join us in conversation to discuss their work and how they will continue to prioritize public participation in their teams’ work. Sign up for our event to hear about their obstacles, how they’ve overcome them, and best practices they believe can make public participation more inclusive & equitable.??
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