1st Edition
Public Engagement Made Easy A Guide for Planners and Policymakers
Local leaders don’t need to become professional facilitators or hire expensive consultants to run a great meeting. Public Engagement Made Easy offers practical and affordable methods that bring ease to one of the most challenging aspects of any local leader’s role: involving the public. The tools and techniques in this book will empower planners, public managers, decision-makers, and other leaders to implement effective public engagement programs that build trust within communities and contribute to successful decisions that stand the test of time.
1. Introduction PART ONE 2. When public engagement goes sideways 3. What is public engagement? 4. Mistakes and bad techniques 5. Why no one wants to do public engagement: Common objections 6. The benefits of public engagement PART TWO 7. Three rules of public engagement 8. How decision science makes public engagement easier 9. How to prepare for successful public engagement: Preparation is the path to easier public engagement 10. How to select the right techniques for each stage of your decision 11. Facilitation techniques for (almost) any occasion 12. Measure success 13. Social media & online engagement techniques 14. Appendix A: How-to materials
Biography
Susan Charland, AICP, is a city planner, facilitator, and public engagement specialist. She has dedicated her career to helping local government leaders successfully engage with their communities. Charland provides training sessions on engagement techniques and has spoken about the topic at conferences around the US.
“Charland writes in a direct, jargon-free way about how planners can upgrade their relationship with the people they serve. She punctures some of the primary myths about public engagement, describes the main pitfalls and how to avoid them, and gives many practical tips about processes that work. Charland also underlines the need to understand the larger context for local democracy – how citizens are organized and government is structured – in order to identify possibilities for positive change.”
Matt Leighninger, Director, Center for Democracy Innovation
“Public Engagement Made Easy: A Guide for Planners and Policymakers is the ‘go to’ resource that planners, public officials, and local leaders need to carry out effective public participation programs. Susan Charland draws on extensive research and two decades of experience as a practitioner to provide an insightful, practical, and easy-to-read guide to all aspects of public engagement. I highly recommend it!”
David Rouse, FAICP, practitioner, educator, and author of The Comprehensive Plan: Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Communities for the 21st Century
“With this book, Charland has pulled off quite a feat – writing a primer on public engagement that is not only comprehensive but also a pleasure to read. This approachable book is a must-read for anyone working in and around local government, or anyone who wants to make their community a better place.”
Ben Wrobel, Co-Founder, Proximate, and author of Letting Go: How Philanthropists and Impact Investors Can Do More Good by Giving Up Control
“As a real estate development professional and professor, I’ve experienced the good and the bad of public engagement throughout my career. This guide for planners and policymakers is extremely helpful for local leaders as well as development teams to implement public engagement programs that build collaboration to create better communities.”
Matthew Roland, AICP, Assistant Dean and Clinical Assistant Professor of Real Estate, University at Buffalo School of Architecture & Planning
“Getting our job done drives us in our daily work. Getting it done well, whatever that is, can be exasperating. Charland’s experience has given her the ability to voice a vast array of techniques and methods to help planners. I was delighted in her understanding of the “who, what, and why” of public engagement and their importance to doing a job well.”
Carol Lewis, retired Community Development Director, City of Sweet Home, Oregon
“Planners and policymakers rely on effective public engagement to successfully implement strategies for building better communities. Charland has thoughtfully crafted a user-friendly resource for these professionals to facilitate meetings that build trust, result in progress, and demonstrate real accomplishments. And with the proliferation of tech and online tools in this work, she offers everyday solutions that improve the capacities of individuals.”
Sean M. Maguire, AICP, APA New York Upstate, Chapter President, and Founder & Principal, Essem Strategies, LLC
