Municipalities
Activate a broader audience to receive diverse input
The City of Cambridge committed to engaging the public in their search for a new City Manager, gathering nearly 5,000 comments on their coUrbanize site.
Customized engagement software and strategy
Bringing the benefits of online community engagement to everything from mixed-use developments to public art plans to nuclear reactors – and all that’s in between.
Affordable Housing
Overcome bias and educate the community
WinnCompanies’ inclusive outreach on coUrbanize built trust and earned support for plans to revitalize the aging Mary Ellen McCormack public housing.
Commercial Real Estate Developers
Activate silent supporters and build trust
JBG SMITH connected with hundreds of silent supporters on coUrbanize, allowing them to demonstrate real support for their Central District Retail project at the final hearing – and achieving unanimous approval from Arlington County.
Institutions
Communicate with stakeholders and share your vision
Boston Properties kept key stakeholders informed and excited about a multiyear project to improve the Kendall Square area of MIT campus.
Planning Consultants
Gather better feedback and complement in-person efforts
rePlace Urban Studio leveraged their time efficiently to collect 2,500+ responses for a comprehensive plan in just four months
Dormont case study Case study
Public Relations Consultants
Manage the conversation and communicate with relevant stakeholders
Lane Partners secured not one, but two City Council approvals for a tech and life sciences campus in the notoriously NIMBYist Bay Area.
Beyond
Bringing best-practice community engagement to every unique project
Womanhood, a Santa Clara County public arts project, used the coMap tool to solicit community recommendations on areas for art honoring local women.
People were sharing not just their ideas, but the ownership and momentum they already had for projects on the ground. That encouraged participation from other community members who saw that involvement.
It is rare to come across a team of people who are so enthusiastic about their product and equally so customer service oriented. As developers, we have always thought it important to engage with our neighbors and the community at large. We need that feedback, good and bad, to improve what we build. coUrbanize has proven to be invaluable.
coUrbanize helped us put together a comprehensive platform where people could learn about our project and build a sense of community and excitement around it. Their staff understands development and have been able to provide valuable support along the way.
With a project of this scale and this much potential development, we really wanted to find new opportunities to access community members who couldn’t show up at board hearings and wait six hours to testify.
If we had used a static website instead of coUrbanize, we would not have learned what specific misinformation was being spread. And once we knew that, it was very easy to counter because the correct information was right there on the coUrbanize website.
Community Member Voices
Lisa G.
I thought I would see if by chance the developer was interested in adding artist housing. I got an in-depth response from them saying yes, they would include artist housing in the project. I was thrilled! I had no idea my comment would come to anything.
Jessie R.
I am so glad I scanned the QR code on the sign at the corner of Merritt and Martin. I am excited to hear about this project, and I love that you are asking for feedback from the community! Being a small business owner, I think any opportunities to make it more affordable for small businesses to rent are important.
Lindsey N.
I am currently on disability for a chronic illness I’ve had since I was a kid. I applied through HUD to live in this neighborhood once it’s complete and hope I get chosen from the waiting list. It looks beautiful and I would love to be a part of the progress!
Tools & Resources
Reports
A Checklist for Meaningful & Equitable Community Engagement
Effective community engagement programs need to be designed to be both meaningful and equitable. To gauge the effectiveness of your…
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