EngagingCities

Public space both shapes and is shaped by improvisation—whether we notice it or not.

Well-planned public spaces help promote physical and mental well-being.

An inside look at the job that puts data and analytics to use in key decision-making.

The long, grueling and combative 2016 election had at least one silver lining. According to the website VolunteerMatch, its highest-ever traffic numbers happened four days after Trump’s inauguration an

Whether collecting data by mail, phone or web, encouraging these residents to respond to a survey from the City can be resource intensive, and without a robust effort, ineffective. Local government leaders of diverse communities should especially consider ways to get more participation from hard-to-reach residents.

In the Local Government Challenge, University of Texas-Arlington students will focus on developing effective approaches to community engagement. We’ll hear from practitioners over the next co…

Useful tips for those who want to work with university leaders to institutionalize the dialogue to change program.

Here’s how you can make a difference in your neighborhood, your community, and the greater city.

Some months ago I was asked by Matt from @commsgodigital to write a blog post about the basics of community engagement with top tips on making it successful. Easy I thought, with almost 13 years’…

We asked “what are specific actions for increasing your influence on the local level?” ELGL has responded swiftly and specifically.  Podcast: Reason for Running We talk running for City…

A time-compressed design process that gathers all of the stakeholders and practitioners together has great potential for creating more holistic communities, experts say.

Resolve to be a more active citizen with these four tips.

There's a lot at risk when people in government use their private accounts for public business.

Leaders from Houston and Miami weigh in on the power of data in emergency management—and the need to do more.

This case study introduces students to the field of civic technology and the possibility that it could help to amplify citizen engagement.

Do you have empty spaces in your community? Do you have forgotten buildings and corridors in your city? Does your downtown have areas that are sorely underutilized, like alleys or similar spaces? Are there any former industrial areas in your community that are currently sitting vacant? Are there any other parts of your community that …

If you're a public space aficionado or transportation maven, one only needs to sign on to one of the various social media feeds to see the daily movement that…

By Jean-Noé Landry and Merlin Chatwin As more and more cities take steps to adopt open data programs we have …

Yes, it's possible to have a community meeting where resident voices are heard, while experts and professionals get their say as well. Here are several tips for how to do that.

And the case for nixing the NIMBY label altogether.

During my undergrad, one course that really struck me was, “Urban Transformations, Affective Cartography”. We studied how urban landscapes are more than just spatial. We looked at how public space, specifically, urban space, affect our physical, psychological, and emo...

Learning about designing for the engaged citizens who vote in participatory budgeting

Our Director of Places and Communities, Nat Defriend sets out four key challenges for everyone who is committed to challenging inequality and empowering communities. The challenges are framed through the lens of our founder, Michael Young’s central concept of how change happens in places, and the three key roles we have identified in the construction... → Read More

Groundbreaking research shows how the design and maintenance of public spaces can directly impact our civic health. This is a guest post by Suzanne Nienaber. Last week, the Center for Active Design (CfAD) published original research from the Assembly Civic Engagement Survey (ACES), a groundbreaking study to examine specific community design features that influence civic…