Involving community members in the planning and redevelopment process is a great way to ensure the long-term success of a redevelopment project.
Goals of community engagement during redevelopment include:
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- Understanding the history of the site and the feelings that the community has about the site
- Successfully communicating the results of the status of the site and answering questions – Are there contamination concerns at the site? What will be done to address these concerns? When? How long will it take?
- Listening to the needs of the community – What amenities or future development do they want to see at that site?
- Engage key community members while planning for future use – Which site should be developed first? What are the possibilities for that site that will best serve the needs of the community?
- Celebrating progress throughout the redevelopment process
Leading a Community Meeting
Communicating the results of an Environmental Site Assessment or answering questions from the community about the health concerns related to contaminants at the site can be difficult, especially when there are unfamiliar terms, uncertainties, or unknowns.
The resources below can help you plan and lead a successful community meeting or simply answer questions throughout the redevelopment process
Tips for hosting a successful community meeting
Risk communication best practices [adapted from guidebook risk comm section]
ATSDR primer on risk communication
KSU TAB community engagement resources – hosting a community visioning meeting
[placeholder for case study: Rock Mount timeline]