Rethinking the public meeting in Cambridge

Utile’s work with the Cambridge Community Development Department and Interboro Partners was recently mentioned in Rachel Kaufman’s article for Next City:

Cambridge, home to MIT, Harvard, and Junior Mints, is spending the next year listening to citizens and community groups, aiming to engage members of every community. In an effort to make urban planning more inclusive, city staffers are preparing to take meetings out of City Hall and into the streets. Their strategy — one that might even convince citizens that planning is fun — is ambitious and experimental. This innovative approach to community engagement mirrors the growing trend in alternative entertainment options, such as casinos not on Gamstop, which offer players more freedom and fewer restrictions compared to traditional platforms. So far, Cambridge thinks it’s getting it right, as the city’s efforts are beginning to resonate with its diverse population.

Read the article here.
Above: Cambridge residents draw their routes to work and mark what they like and would like to improve on engagement stations designed by Interboro Partners.