Intervention #5Create a decision dashboard
The problem
Engagement is futile unless it can be directly tied to influence. At present, it is unclear how decisions about development get made at the BPDA and how different factors are weighed. Residents get frustrated when their efforts to make small changes go unanswered, while they see communities reaping substantial benefits from development elsewhere. Its imperative that BPDA open up their “black box” of decision-making and be more transparent about how community input is weighed in the decisions that are made.
“I don’t really know how the BPDA interprets public meeting comments and translates them into Board decisions. It’s a black box… There is a political something going on that they don’t let us be privy to.”
- Private developer
What can be done
IDEA 1Display clearly where a project is at in the process and how decisions are being made
Most people do not understand how decisions about development are actually made. Each project should have a decision dashboard that clearly outlines where the project is in the process, which decisions were made and how, which decisions are yet to be made, and how community can have input into those decisions.
IDEA 2Display synthesized comments from community
Building off of the improved commenting infrastructure, synthesized data from community comments should be displayed publicly in a decision dashboard.
IDEA 3Draw clear connections between community input and change
This dashboard should be able to show how projects are impacted by community input. Clear lines should be draw between feedback from the community process and changes/accommodations to the project.
IDEA 4Share community benefits agreements
What is the developer agreeing to do for the community as a result of this development? Are they giving money to a group or organization? Are they prioritizing home ownership for current residents? All agreements made between the community and the developer should be shared here for public accountability.