ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY TO SET FUTURE PRIORITIES

As part of its annual strategic planning efforts, the local development corporation based in Downtown Pittsburgh sought the expertise of an economic development firm to lead a stakeholder engagement initiative to assist in understanding the needs of its community. Over the course of several months, we led a process on behalf of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership that included 5 focus groups with approximately 120 participants; input from the Mayor’s Office; and an online survey that garnered more than 600 responses.

Through an interactive approach that included mapping exercises, brainstorming sessions, and charrettes, we asked stakeholders to focus on thematic areas related to quality of life, economic development, transportation, and marketing. The result of the outreach process coalesced around a set of obstacles and opportunities, as well as a number of recommendations aimed at addressing these. To organize all of the findings into a cohesive narrative, we developed a strategic framework that the organization used to make budget and programmatic decisions, including an expanded focus on public space improvements and collaborating with neighboring districts.