Upland Design’s Strategy To Get The Community Involved

Upland Design has created engaging spaces for communities for the past 22 years. Our goal is to improve the quality of life by encouraging people to Go Outside. Community input is a vital step to the design process. So, how do we incorporate the collective mind in our designs? By talking to them!

Public outreach plays a vital role in creating spaces that reflect the needs of each community. From the initial stakeholder meeting to the last input meeting, several steps make up Upland’s Community Engagement Strategy.

Upland Design’s toolbox for community outreach is broad.  It includes small focus group meetings, public open houses, presentations, online surveys, and real-time public meeting surveys.  An option that some communities engage well with is a project focused web site for larger planning projects where community members might want to check in on the planning as work moves forward.  Another tool is having a steering committee of community members that can be the eyes, ears, and cheerleaders to get more people involved and steer the project for cohesive results.

Getting the word out is crucial for public input meetings. We can create the graphics needed for newspapers, social media, and email blasts, as well as reaching out to local social media groups ourselves.

In these pandemic times, Upland utilizes technology to host meetings with online group meetings tools. Presentations include concept sketches, photos, aesthetic options, and real-time polls and surveys. These engaging practices ensure that the community’s voice is heard, and those who will utilize the space the most are involved.

Going beyond just one chance for residents to be a part of the process, Upland often conducts multiple meetings throughout the design phase. Narrowing down options from idea images to general layouts to color palettes and aesthetics, we work with the public and client closely.

Whether the project is creating, renovating, or transforming, Upland Design develops spaces that inspire communities to go outside, utilizing a Public Engagement Strategy that provides locals a real chance to get involved.