The Best Way to Win Over Opposition is Information and Engagement

It may seem obvious, but as practicing planners the world over know, not every project proponent or stakeholder thinks about the outreach aspect of entitling a project. I know personally I have had, during a pre-application meeting with an applicant or a client, a blank stare when I ask them about their public outreach plan. At best they know that their project will require a public hearing before a Planning Commission or City Council, but there are more than a few who operate on the mindset of "well it's my property, what do you mean I can't just do what I want? I have to let people know what I'm going to do and they can complain about it and possibly prevent me from developing my project?" And because the Planning Department of a city is known as the place where public notices, public hearings, town hall meetings, etc. are arranged and presented, Planning often becomes the de facto face of the city. In fact, over the course of my career I have held multiple roles where my title has been dual-hatted as both Planner and Public Information Officer. But what has generally been the case is engagement of the citizens/residents of a community regarding a project, whether a private project or something undertaken by a municipal government agency, goes a long way to both eliminating opposition by virtue of sharing accurate information about the project as well as allowing the project proponents to redesign and improve the project to address comments and concerns raised by the public, again, eliminating opposition. Granted, there are some who will not be able to be convinced because they are just fundamentally opposed to whatever someone is proposing to do, regardless of its appropriateness or compliance with zoning regulations. But if you eliminate enough of the opposition, generally the decision-makers will reach the conclusion to approve the project.

As noted in this article in The Cool Down, a newsletter that promotes green energy solutions to fight climate change, a city's engagement with its citizens about "green" projects can drive support and acceptance of the project. And from that, when other cities can see examples of successful projects, they are more willing to follow suit and pursue their own similar projects. The focus of the article was a study on "nature-based solutions" (NBS) that cities can undertake to combat climate change and promote general wellness for the citizens, the flora and fauna, and the city as a whole. Some of the projects included river restorations, increasing green space in playgrounds, and urban rewilding (such as NYC's initiative to introduce beavers to some of its parks).

The study noted that when cities engaged with their citizens at the preliminary stages of the project, not only was general acceptance strengthened, but innovation in the overall design was boosted by effectively having the end users involved. One other observation from the study was the effect successful projects had on other cities. This actually speaks to a larger truth about planners. We are generally loathe to reinvent the wheel, unless there is a unique opportunity to innovate. Since we all have to generally follow the same laws and regulations, planners have mastered the art of "copy and paste" for regulatory standards and other policy statements. It makes sense. If one city has established a policy on adult businesses or concert venues, or crafted objective design standards for mixed-use transit oriented developments and managed to get them blessed by the legal authorities, that is a big win and other planners (and cities) are going to want to have their own policies that are not in danger of legal challenge. The NBS study found the same: cities want to copy successful ideas from other cities. Putting their own spin on the details, but definitely taking a hard look at others' successes. "Researchers noted that a key external factor was other cities' urban climate solutions. For example, one's admiration for New York City's initiative to introduce beavers to local parks could motivate a desire to implement biodiversity-boosting policies in their city. It's a domino effect of positive environmental change."

If your city, town, or county is looking to implement a new policy, program, or development, whether urban rewilding, objective design standards, or an inclusionary housing project, 30-plus years of experience up and down California have provided the opportunity to work on, observe, and experience a broad spectrum of policies, programs, and projects, and they have provided Evanson Associates the expertise to improve on what doesn't work and adapt successful ideas to your local needs. Feel free to reach out to discuss any of these topics, and we'll be happy to partner with you to find the right solution for your local goals and vision.