More than Facebook: Build a Digital Engagement Strategy that Works

Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the interactive nature of learning labs, only those with a seat may participate. Please arrive early to secure your spot!

Five years ago, planners across the country helped the communities they serve pivot to online public meetings. Since then, proprietary and open-source public participation tools and platforms have proliferated, leaving us adrift in a sea of options. Yet, in many cases, these new tools have done little to help planners engage traditionally underrepresented groups or strengthen trust in planning processes. Effective digital engagement requires a new strategy and not just new tools.

This Upskilling Planners Initiative learning lab will begin with brief framing presentations that highlight distinct use-cases for digital outreach and engagement in planning and decision-making processes, summarize the key features of different tools and platforms, and introduce the core components of a digital engagement strategy.
Next, participants will respond to scenario-based questions to test their understanding of the relationships between different digital engagement objectives and tools. Then, they will work in small groups to identify the digital engagement tactics they’d like to try to foster more inclusive and authentic public participation in the communities they serve.
In the final part of the lab, the facilitators will reconvene participants for a whole-group exchange of ideas on unresolved questions and potential solutions.