In addition to traditional public involvement strategies such as engaging a steering committee, leading focus group discussions, and hosting public workshops to capture insights from communities, the Imagine Currituck planning process has employed the following innovative strategies for achieving a high level of public awareness and maximizing community input.
Branding & Website
A thematic brand was developed for the Imagine Currituck project to be used throughout the planning process for digital and print communications, eventually the final document itself. An independent project website was launched June 15th, 2016:
Interactive Map
A key feature of Imagine Currituck‘s community engagement campaign is a custom interactive map of the county that is embedded into the project website. The interactive map allows users to place markers anywhere on the map and leave an associated comment. This tool has proven to be user-friendly and effective in gathering input, with nearly 100 unique geo-referenced responses submitted at the time of this post.
Online Survey
Concurrent with the website launch, an online survey was deployed as a means of gathering greater detail on specific planning issues related to transportation, recreation, land use, infrastructure, natural resources, economic development, and sense of place. The survey has enjoyed tremendous success, capturing 1,250 individual responses in only 8 weeks. Hard copies of the survey were also made available.
Video
A core component of the digital marketing strategy for Imagine Currituck, is a custom-crafted public-outreach video.Check out the brief video, even if it’s just to view our stunning aerial drone photography of the northern Outer Banks!
Infographics
A series of Currituck-specific infographics were produced to visually communicate current and projected growth trends, as well as the need for long-range planning in the county.
Social Media
An active social media program was implemented from the outset of the project’s digital outreach campaign. A spike in survey responses has consistently been observed in the hours and days following social media posts, further confirming the effectiveness of this communication outlet.
As the public engagement phase continues to unfold, we look forward to building on the wealth of insight we’ve accumulated thus far in the planning process. The real fun begins as we work with Currituck County to integrate the concerns, challenges, aspirations, and vision of citizens into strategies and recommendations that will position Currituck for a strong and successful future. Keep an eye out for the final plan in Summer 2017.
