Land Use Planning: Best Practices For Engaging With The Community

Community input and engagement are a vital part of land use planning. Getting the community, including adjacent and nearby landowners involved in a positive way, however, can be challenging. Doing so often requires a concerted effort by community groups, developers, individual stakeholders, and planning practitioners. A well-thought-out and organized approach using the following best practices for engaging with the community is advisable:

Identify Your Audience: Know the Community

To productively engage with a community, it is imperative first to understand the community. Demographic data is helpful; however, spending time in and among the community is ideal. Efforts should be made to identify and reach groups and neighboring property owners within the community. Effective community engagement in land use planning includes the community as a whole, not just the typical decision-makers within the community. Recognizing and acknowledging a broad range of community