Services / Engagement and education
Engagement is education. We are zoning educators.
"Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government." Thomas Jefferson had it right. A zoning code that residents understand is a code they will support, use, and defend.
What engagement is
Intentional structure
Engagement is about learning, in both directions. Every meeting has a purpose, a format chosen for that purpose, and a defined place in the project schedule, so participants can see how their input shapes the draft.
Collaborative energy
Zoning is abstract until it is about your street. We translate technical choices, such as height transitions, parking, and use permissions, into plain-language tradeoffs that people can weigh together.
Expert facilitation
Sessions are led by lawyers and planners who have stood at the dais and in the audience. We know how to hold a room, answer a hard question, and keep the conversation on the code.
Formats we use
- Stakeholder committees and steering committees
- Technical advisory committees of staff, builders, and design professionals
- Focus groups with neighborhoods, business owners, and institutions
- Open house events and drop-in office hours
- Special events and pop-ups where people already are
- Online surveys, project websites, and virtual kickoffs
- One-on-one meetings with council members, commissioners, and key stakeholders
- Work sessions and public hearings before planning commissions and councils
Engagement plans are customized to each community. A 3.8-square-mile island town and a city of 700,000 do not need the same plan, and neither should get a template.
Community design events
ZoneCo led the "Pike with a Purpose" community assembly, a CNU 32 Legacy Project: a three-day design charrette to envision a new village center along Ohio Pike (S.R. 125) in the former Village of Amelia, now part of Batavia and Pierce Townships.
Not sure where to start?
Tell us what's not working in your code. We'll tell you what it would take to fix it, and what it would cost.