https://www.justengagement.org/learn daily 0.75 2021-10-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635286865705-R82PCS8CUNRCHHTWU7R1/images.jpg Learn - Make it stand out One of our workshops in East Boston. Credit: Mayra. https://www.justengagement.org/home daily 1.0 2021-10-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/a70999c6-e5ea-4559-8b06-d59fa2fe7f72/unsplash-image-zs-PAgqgenQ.jpg Home - Why just engagement? When it comes to promoting equity and inclusion, a lot of attention is placed on legislative action as the mechanism for change. While policy is critical to structural and systemic change, it isn’t the only mechanism. Institutions can start the transformative work through the practices and tools they use for community engagement. We worked with residents from Dorchester and East Boston to understand what community engagement should look like. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/9c7a9cf9-c568-4e59-9458-c52b2142183b/ezgif-4-c03f82868d9a.jpg Home - We have 5 big ideas Through our co-design process, we identified 5 big ideas for promoting equity and inclusion through engagement. We advocate that the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) begin adopting these practices now, in order to better center Boston’s BIPOC communities in decisions about development in their neighborhoods. https://www.justengagement.org/explore daily 0.75 2021-10-28 https://www.justengagement.org/reflect daily 0.75 2021-10-28 https://www.justengagement.org/about daily 0.75 2021-10-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635305512636-Z4C6WO2Y2OC32FZH0I7B/logo3.png About - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635305559309-LQJDCRV7VET9LTDR5257/1*TBfrQ_PURfk7m-pjN1xswg%402x.png About - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635305539514-1TGOR6JXGS40ZOMZ7IBW/BPDA_Logo.png About - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.justengagement.org/intevention1 daily 0.75 2021-10-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635371489331-PDPTH8NEVTD6K2A6RUFS/build.png 1. Reckon with harm - IDEA 1 Hold space for community storytelling Many Bostonians have been impacted negatively by development in Boston. BPDA should create and support spaces for Bostonians to share these experiences and be listened to by agency staff, city officials, and even developers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635371510820-STHDKALV1KBUM7TWOXS7/city2.png 1. Reckon with harm - IDEA 2 Be honest and transparent about past harms Be public about Boston’s participation in efforts like urban renewal and the impacts on residents. Put these stories on the agency’s website. Point directly to changes in policies and practices to prevent further harm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635371542137-E2T1P6WRKNW561RDH9LE/hand.png 1. Reckon with harm - IDEA 3 Cultivate awareness and skills among staff Everyone who works for the BPDA should understand the historical and social context within which they are operating. All BPDA staff should go through a highly contextualized training about the history and effects of development in Boston, centering stories of those most affected. This training should be combined with racial equity training so that all staff are equipped to view their work through a lens of equity, whether they interact with residents directly or not. https://www.justengagement.org/implement daily 0.75 2021-10-26 https://www.justengagement.org/empower-trusted-community-groups-as-partners daily 0.75 2021-10-25 https://www.justengagement.org/empower-trusted-community-groups-as-partners-1 daily 0.75 2021-10-27 https://www.justengagement.org/empower-trusted-community-groups-as-partners-1-1 daily 0.75 2021-10-26 https://www.justengagement.org/intervention2 daily 0.75 2021-10-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635371510820-STHDKALV1KBUM7TWOXS7/city2.png 2. Co-create standards for engagement practices with communities. - IDEA 4 Prioritize language inclusivity in all interactions and communications Use plain speech in written and verbal communications, avoiding jargon and acronyms. Provide language translation and interpretation as appropriate for the community being engaged. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635371542137-E2T1P6WRKNW561RDH9LE/hand.png 2. Co-create standards for engagement practices with communities. - IDEA 3 Disseminate community-informed educational materials Work with communities to understand gaps in understanding as it relates to development and the BPDA. Develop educational materials to fill the identified gaps, iterating with residents to ensure quality and accessibility. Be sure that all materials are in plain language, utilize more graphics and fewer words, and are translated into many languages to maximize accessibility. SEE EXAMPLE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635371489331-PDPTH8NEVTD6K2A6RUFS/build.png 2. Co-create standards for engagement practices with communities. - IDEA 1 Co-create community inclusion plans Facilitate workshops in communities to understand best practices for inclusive engagement, specific to demographic, cultural, and social context of the community. Allow the final plan to inform all engagement within that community and serve to hold the BPDA and developers accountable for inclusive practices. SEE AN EXAMPLE FROM EAST BOSTON SEE AN EXAMPLE FROM DORCHESTER https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635371510820-STHDKALV1KBUM7TWOXS7/city2.png 2. Co-create standards for engagement practices with communities. - IDEA 2 Adopt customer service-like practices Train community-facing staff in effective customer services practices. Such practices should prioritize listening well, showing empathy and concern, a commitment to providing or finding answers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635372341695-VV7OPYDK2KIVJBGXDPUJ/participation.png 2. Co-create standards for engagement practices with communities. - IDEA 5 Aggressively lower barriers to engagement Consider real and potential barriers for engagement in any given community. Make every effort to work with community groups/orgs to remove barriers. This may include providing both in-person and virtual meetings, conducting door-to-door outreach, providing childcare for meetings, etc. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635371542137-E2T1P6WRKNW561RDH9LE/hand.png 2. Co-create standards for engagement practices with communities. - IDEA 6 Provide workshops for developers While there are limitations to what BPDA can require of developers, there is still opportunity to help developers understand best practices for engaging with communities. Developers and communities alike suffer when interactions are unnecessarily contentious. BPDA should work with developers who are well-respected in communities to develop workshops on best-practices for engaging communities and promoting equity in development. https://www.justengagement.org/intervention3 daily 0.75 2021-10-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635372341695-VV7OPYDK2KIVJBGXDPUJ/participation.png 3. Empower trusted community groups as partners - IDEA 5 Encourage developers to establish direct relationships with community groups While BPDA can’t legally require developers to do more than is established by law (Article 80), BPDA can encourage developers to engage directly with trusted community partners. This should be encouraged in the pre-filing stage, where the project is still largely moldable. A simple “best practice guide” for engaging communities early can be provided to developers along with a list of local partners. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635371542137-E2T1P6WRKNW561RDH9LE/hand.png 3. Empower trusted community groups as partners - IDEA 6 Build relationships within communities when there are no projects on the line Having consistent presence within communities when there are no projects and decisions to be made goes a long way in building trust. Support groups in their block parties, community events, etc. for on-going relationship building. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635371510820-STHDKALV1KBUM7TWOXS7/city2.png 3. Empower trusted community groups as partners - IDEA 4 Create space for community partners in "closed door" meetings Allow community partners access to pre-filing meetings with developers and other “closed door” meetings related to developments in their communities. Bringing residents in earlier and more can help establish trust and give more opportunity for making the community’s priorities known before the development gets too far in the process. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635372341695-VV7OPYDK2KIVJBGXDPUJ/participation.png 3. Empower trusted community groups as partners - IDEA 1 Develop empowering partnership standards Community-based organizations want to know what it means to be seen as a trusted partner, or in “good standing” with the BPDA. BPDA should work with a committee of organizations to develop reasonable and empowering partnership standards that are rooted in equity and inclusion. These standards should be readily available on the BPDA website. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635372558601-R15P3W5B35O1NMTA80WY/folder.png 3. Empower trusted community groups as partners - IDEA 2 Provide financial support to community partners in good standing When community groups have shown to meet diversity and inclusion standards, BPDA should equip these groups with financial resources to support their partnered outreach and engagement efforts, while increasing the Agency’s own engagement capacity. These partnerships should be transparently displayed on the BPDA website. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635371542137-E2T1P6WRKNW561RDH9LE/hand.png 3. Empower trusted community groups as partners - IDEA 3 Empower community partners to assemble meetings, disseminate information, and collect feedback directly Community groups and organizations are often better positioned to gather residents, disseminate information, and solicit feedback through their own mechanisms. BPDA should sanction these activities and consider feedback gathered as “official” public comment, provided the group continues to meet diversity and inclusion standards. https://www.justengagement.org/intervention4 daily 0.75 2021-10-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635372875791-ANNOGTY7B2IA5OUPBTPA/phonecall.png 4. Improve community commenting infrastructure - IDEA 1 Provide low-tech options for learning about and providing input Low-tech options for learning and providing input on development projects is essential to removing barriers to engagement. BPDA should establish a multi-lingual phone line that allows people to call in, select language, and select development projects by neighborhood/address, and then leave a voicemail requesting more information or leaving a comment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635371773541-4JSZY22L5GEPT6LYQCIT/interface2.png 4. Improve community commenting infrastructure - IDEA 3 Have a centralized place for capturing and displaying all community comments Community comments on development projects should be captured in a centralized, visible, and accessible place, whether give verbally at a meeting, through the phone, email, or on the website. Themes should be highlighted so that developers and neighbors can easily understand common feedback shared. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635372558601-R15P3W5B35O1NMTA80WY/folder.png 4. Improve community commenting infrastructure - IDEA 2 Accommodate analog + digital In this new hybrid analog/digital world, it is essential to provide both means of access to meetings and mechanisms for providing input to development/planning projects. People should also be given the tools needed to learn how to access digital meetings. SEE GETTING CONNECTED GUIDE https://www.justengagement.org/intervention5 daily 0.75 2021-10-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635371773541-4JSZY22L5GEPT6LYQCIT/interface2.png 5. Design a decision dashboard - IDEA 1 Display 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. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635372341695-VV7OPYDK2KIVJBGXDPUJ/participation.png 5. Design a decision dashboard - IDEA 2 Display synthesized comments from community Building off of the improved commenting infrastructure, synthesized data from community comments should be displayed publicly in a decision dashboard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635371542137-E2T1P6WRKNW561RDH9LE/hand.png 5. Design a decision dashboard - IDEA 3 Draw 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. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/616eebcf1304ef455dd7480a/1635371510820-STHDKALV1KBUM7TWOXS7/city2.png 5. Design a decision dashboard - IDEA 4 Share 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. https://www.justengagement.org/yourturn daily 0.75 2021-10-28