Town of Wayland, MA: Community Forum
In May 2021, the Town of Wayland hired Barrett Planning Group to update their Housing Production Plan. A vital part of writing a Housing Production Plan is to engage the residents in a robust series of community outreach events, including small-group interviews and a survey.
An example of feedback obtained using the Miro platform.
On the evening of November 18, 2021, Barrett Planning Group hosted the second in a series of Community Forums for the Town of Wayland's new Housing Production Plan. The topic was a set of draft goals and strategies for meeting the Town's affordable housing needs. All Wayland residents were invited to log on to Zoom and hear a presentation from the BPG team, ask questions, and then participate in small group discussions where they could provide detailed feedback on each housing goal and strategy.
For those who were unable to attend the recent Community Forum, a different way to participate was designed using the Miro platform. Following a link on the Town of Wayland's website, residents could access the same "online poster board" that the small discussion groups used on the night of the forum. Participants wrote comments on digital post-it notes engaging with the materials from the presentation.
By experimenting with new online public participation tools, Barrett Planning Group hopes to expand our community engagement capabilities for current and future clients.
The Miro platform is a civic engagement tool utilized by Barrett Planning Group to expand community engagement capabilities.
Barrett Planning Group LLC provides high-quality, customized planning and community development services for cities and towns and non-profit organizations throughout greater Massachusetts and New England. Barrett Planning Group is known for our creative approach to planning and problem-solving, our expertise as trainers and technical assistance providers, our attentiveness to clients, and our expertise in capacity building. Our offices are located in Hingham, MA. Contact us to work together.