Listening Carefully to Our Communities

We believe that the success of each project is inherently linked with the effectiveness of public and community engagement in planning and design. Meaningful engagement helps ensure that proposed changes are supported and embraced by the public, and that these changes improve equity, sustainability, and livability in our communities.

Otak develops innovative plans for involving the public and diverse stakeholders in our work, drawing from a toolbox of activities and approaches that includes interactive workshops and charrettes, online postings and feedback loops, pop-up events, downtown windowfront displays, virtual town halls, open house stroll and poll meetings, visual preference surveys, newsletters and posters, and a wide array of other methods supported by online and printed media. Listening carefully, documenting what we hear, and reporting back on how input has been considered are key aspects of our process. In these times of social distancing, we’ve adapted a variety of safe methods to ensure that the public and stakeholder involvement continues to be an important part of planning and design.