Services

Strategic Planning & Compliance Services

The Foundation - Planning processes require more than checking boxes - they demand a sophisticated understanding of how regulatory requirements can strengthen community engagement.

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Public Participation Plans and Strategies

  • Developing an effective Public Participation Plan requires a delicate balance. While meeting federal requirements provides the foundation, truly meaningful public engagement demands a deeper understanding of how communities naturally connect and communicate. We transform standard PPP requirements into dynamic frameworks that strengthen the relationship between planning organizations and their communities.
  • Our approach begins by recognizing that every region's public participation needs are unique. Drawing from extensive experience with MPOs and planning commissions, we help you craft participation strategies that reflect your community's cultural patterns, communication preferences, and existing social networks.
  • We understand the technical complexities of PPP development, from DBE goal integration to federal notification requirements. Yet we see these requirements as opportunities rather than constraints. Each element of your PPP becomes a building block for stronger community connections.

Title VI and LEP Plans

  • Civil rights compliance in planning isn't just about meeting federal requirements -- it's about ensuring every community member has meaningful access to the planning processes that shape their future. Title VI and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) plans serve as foundational documents that transform legal obligations into opportunities for building more inclusive planning practices.
  • Our approach recognizes that effective Title VI and LEP plans must do more than document procedures. Drawing from extensive experience with MPOs and planning commissions, we help you develop frameworks that naturally integrate non-discrimination principles into every aspect of your planning process.
  • Plan development addresses both technical compliance and practical implementation. We create clear documentation of policies and procedures while building in practical tools that staff can easily implement.

Federal Certification and Civil Rights Audits

  • Federal certification reviews and civil rights audits represent pivotal moments for Metropolitan Planning Organizations opportunities to demonstrate planning excellence while strengthening relationships with oversight agencies.
  • Drawing from over two decades of certification experience at the regional level, we approach these reviews as chances to showcase your MPO's achievements while identifying opportunities for growth.
  • Our methodology transforms what could be a stressful audit process into a collaborative dialogue about planning innovation and community impact. We help you tell the complete story of how your planning processes serve your region's unique needs while meeting federal requirements.

LRTP and TIP Multi-Year Engagement

  • The most effective long-range transportation plans and TIPs emerge from sustained dialogue between planners and communities. These foundational documents do more than allocate resources -- they capture a region's aspirations and translate them into actionable transportation strategies.
  • Our approach recognizes that effective long-range engagement must bridge different timescales of community thinking. While residents naturally focus on immediate transportation needs, successful planning requires helping communities envision possibilities decades into the future.
  • Environmental justice considerations weave throughout our methodology. Special attention goes to developing engagement techniques that overcome historical barriers to participation while building trust through sustained dialogue.

While regulatory compliance establishes the foundation for planning excellence, meaningful community engagement requires thoughtfully designed systems that activate these frameworks in practice.

Community Engagement Tools

Building Connections - Effective community engagement emerges from thoughtfully designed systems that meet people where they are.

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School Outreach

  • Meaningful community engagement starts with our youngest citizens. Through carefully designed educational programs, we transform complex planning concepts into engaging experiences that inspire students to think critically about their built environment.
  • Our approach goes beyond traditional outreach by creating lasting connections between schools, families, and planning processes. Drawing from our experience engaging hundreds of students across diverse communities, we've developed a versatile framework that adapts to your specific context.
  • The impact extends far beyond the classroom. When students understand how their communities evolve, they bring their families into the conversation. This creates natural bridges between planners and historically underrepresented groups.

Committee Development

  • Effective community committees form the bedrock of successful metropolitan planning. More than advisory bodies, these committees serve as vital bridges between planning organizations and the communities they serve.
  • When developing new committees or revitalizing existing ones, we begin by examining your region's unique planning context. This includes analyzing demographic patterns, identifying traditional barriers to participation, and understanding local power dynamics.
  • The process extends beyond initial formation. We help you develop sustainable support systems that maintain committee vitality over time. This includes creating engaging meeting frameworks, establishing clear communication channels, and designing orientation processes.

Community Input

  • Gathering meaningful community feedback requires more than just asking questions. It demands a deep understanding of both quantitative research methodology and the human dynamics that shape public participation.
  • Our methodology begins with careful attention to survey architecture. Each question is precisely engineered to eliminate bias while remaining accessible to diverse populations. We integrate cognitive testing principles to ensure questions resonate across different cultural contexts and education levels.
  • Beyond design, we recognize that distribution strategy directly impacts the validity of your results. Our comprehensive outreach approach identifies and removes traditional barriers to participation.

Social Media Strategy

  • The digital public square has become an essential space for planning dialogue. Social media platforms offer unique opportunities to extend community engagement beyond traditional meetings and documents.
  • We approach social media not as a marketing tool, but as a vital extension of your public engagement strategy. Our methodology recognizes that each platform serves distinct purposes in the planning dialogue.
  • Content development goes beyond simple project updates. We help you create digital narratives that make planning processes more accessible and engaging. Complex transportation concepts become clear through carefully crafted visual explainers.

Successful planning engagement depends on more than well-designed processes - it requires clear, consistent communication that makes complex concepts accessible.

Communication & Design

Sustaining Dialogue - Professional planning communication requires sophisticated systems that make complex concepts accessible.

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Agency and Initiative Branding

  • In the complex landscape of regional planning, effective branding transcends mere aesthetics. A thoughtfully developed planning agency brand becomes a powerful tool for building community trust and recognition.
  • We approach agency branding through the unique lens of planning organizations. This specialized perspective recognizes that your visual identity must simultaneously convey governmental authority and community accessibility.
  • Initiative-specific branding builds on this foundation while serving distinct planning purposes. Whether developing identities for long-range transportation plans, corridor studies, or community engagement campaigns, we create visual systems that help the public understand how individual projects connect to broader planning goals.

Digital Engagement

  • Modern planning processes demand digital spaces that do more than simply share information. They must actively engage communities while adhering to rigorous federal standards for accessibility, transparency, and meaningful participation.
  • Drawing from extensive experience with MPOs and planning commissions, we create digital ecosystems that naturally extend your community presence. Each project website becomes a living platform where technical documentation seamlessly integrates with intuitive public input tools.
  • Most importantly, we recognize that digital tools must support, not replace, your broader community engagement strategy. Your project websites become dynamic hubs that complement in-person meetings, strengthen ongoing relationships, and create new pathways for public participation.

Visual Communication

  • Regional planning materials carry a profound responsibility: they must translate complex technical concepts into visual stories that communities recognize as their own.
  • Our art collective approaches each project as an opportunity to strengthen the connection between planners and the public. With over 35 years of combined experience in planning visualization, we've learned that effective design works on multiple levels.
  • This attention to cultural detail transforms standard planning documents into powerful engagement tools. Whether designing comprehensive plan updates, transportation studies, or public outreach materials, we ensure every visual element serves both practical and emotional purposes.

Strategic Communications

  • In planning, maintaining consistent community engagement between major project milestones presents a persistent challenge. Strategic newsletters serve as vital bridges, transforming sporadic public participation into ongoing community dialogue.
  • We approach newsletter development as an extension of your planning strategy, not just a communication task. Each issue becomes an opportunity to deepen public understanding of planning processes, celebrate community progress, and maintain momentum for long-term initiatives.
  • Most importantly, we recognize that newsletters must do more than inform -- they should inspire action and participation. Through strategic content planning and distribution, we help you build a growing audience of engaged community members.

How Our Services Work Together

Each element of our service approach - from compliance documentation to engagement tools to communication systems - works together to strengthen your planning processes. This comprehensive approach ensures your planning efforts build lasting value while maintaining the highest standards of practice.

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