7 strong civic engagement examples for municipalities to follow
If we asked citizens if they trust their local governments, the answers might range from ‘not at all’ to ‘sometimes.’ The likelihood of citizens having complete trust in their local municipalities is, unfortunately, low. Because this lack of trust is also on the rise, now more than ever, it is important for local government leaders to encourage civic engagement.
A more engaged citizenry will yield positive benefits such as greater public trust and transparency, better decision-making, economic advantages as well as improved public services and policies. Communities are also more likely to be united around common goals when citizens are fully engaged.
Civic engagement presents opportunities for communities to address social challenges that are specific to their communities with the goal of transforming them. As private citizens, people have the option to become part of the social fabric of their community or merely be spectators who sit on the sidelines.
Municipalities need to take a proactive approach in actively engaging their citizens. To simply hope that every citizen will care and participate is not enough. Fortunately, there are many steps, through formal and informal channels, that local leaders can take to solicit engagement. These may include:
- Ensuring meetings and information are accessible
- Fostering inclusivity and offering multilingual resources
- Launching education programs and services for all ages
- Providing effective two-way communications
- Partnering with local organizations
- Conducting surveys and interactive town halls
- Utilizing technology for transparency and accountability
As well as using technology to support inclusivity and engagement, it’s useful to look at the programs and initiatives peers are running in their communities.
7 examples of strong civic engagement
With some out-of-the-box thinking and person power, local governments can create various programs to build engagement within their communities. These can be designed to reach citizens for feedback on important community issues or projects. They can also help to build community spirit, promote leisure and recreation, support families and enhance a community’s landscape. Here are seven examples of municipal-driven programs to build engagement:
- Hike Lake County Challenge: Lake County Forest Preserves in Illinois has developed a way for local citizens to reconnect with nature and have fun while exploring beautiful trails in the county. The annual fall walking program recognizes those hikers (and dogs) who complete at least seven of the many marked trails throughout the route. The event helps to build a sense of community and an appreciation for the county’s landscape.
- Memphis Bike Sharing: The city of Memphis recognizes that not all communities have access to transportation. Explore Bike Share partnered with Advance Memphis to bring 600 bicycles to over 60 bike-docking stations with the help of local citizens. The project required $3 million in fundraising, took three years to complete and gave hundreds of residents ways to get to work and run errands inexpensively.
- Colorful Crosswalks: Several cities have caught on to the advantages of having bold, colorful crosswalks. They're easier for motorists to see and safer and more appealing for pedestrians to use. Rochester, NY and Santa Monica provide good examples of colorful crosswalks. Several other communities have used the same idea to show support for the LGBTQ+ community, including Atlanta, Long Beach and New York.
- The Murals of La Jolla: In this example, the La Jolla Community Foundation commissioned public art projects to enrich the civic character of the community in 2010. With the support of private donations, this program continues to be a celebration of artistic talent throughout the community. Creative and eye-catching murals can be seen throughout the community and are on display for two years.
- Crossing the digital divide: The city of Lancaster, PA recognized that it needed to find ways to engage its highly diverse communities, particularly during and post pandemic. The city was committed to ensuring that its transportation, housing and policing projects were shaped by feedback from the diverse citizenry. Together, the mayor’s office and the Department of Neighborhood Engagement launched Engage Lancaster, a simple-to-use and accessible online platform, that remains an effective tool for keeping Lancaster’s many diverse communities active and engaged.
- Discover Struthers: Even small communities find value in programs to engage their communities. For Struthers, Ohio, a town of roughly 10,000 people, seeking input from the youth and senior populations for their first comprehensive plan was essential. But how to reach them? The city leaders went directly to the schools with a Share Your Ideas platform. Students participated in workshops to understand how to use this digital platform for submitting ideas ranging from better sports facilities to safer spots to hang out. Community leaders also reached out to seniors via their platform to invite feedback through surveys and online conversations.
- Engage Allen 2023 Bond Program: To effectively allocate potential bond funds in the City of Allen, Texas, local leaders launched a digital platform to engage community feedback. Sub-committees were formed to invite discussion on topics including infrastructure development and general community improvements. The platform was publicized through social media, city committee meetings and email communications. Participation in the platform continues to grow and hundreds of citizens are actively involved in shaping the community’s development plans.
These far-reaching examples from all around the country demonstrate that local governments can launch programs on their own or partner with other organizations in their quest to build and sustain engagement in their communities.
How technology can support civic engagement
As municipalities see the importance of engaging their citizens and begin to implement initiatives to do so, they can rely on Diligent Community, our next-generation board management solution, can support your community engagement efforts with features that help deliver transparency, seamless communication and access for inclusion.
Key information on plans, initiatives and programs can be published easily to your Public Transparency website where citizens can:
- Sign up to receive notifications from their local government
- Make requests to speak at public meetings
- Watch streamed live meetings
- Access historical and current information
- Easily search for updates on projects
Turn to Diligent Community as you go about engaging your community in decisions that matter. Request a demo today.
