Embedding Equity into the Community Engagement Cycle

A group from the Facilitation and Public Involvement team presented on Embedding Equity into the Community Engagement Cycle at the American Planning Association Washington Conference Annual Chapter meeting in Vancouver, WA. While Triangle is a neutral third party, we are not neutral on the issues of social justice and inclusion. Our community engagement practice is rooted in equity and social justice and aligns with our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Community engagement is critical to the public decision-making process and empowers communities to take active roles in the decisions that shape their environments and affect their lives. The presentation included an overview of the cycle of community engagement created by Triangle Associates: Initial Planning, Relationship Building, Formalization, Implementation, and Maintenance.

The team provided background on the purpose of each phase and why it is important for community engagement, it’s place in the overall purpose and arc of the project, and discussed general best practices for equitable engagement. Project examples for each phase showcased how these strategies can play out in concrete ways.

At the end of the presentation, the team fielded questions on community engagement best practices and shared tools and techniques that Triangle uses in our project work to create equitable community engagement processes.