Land Development Code Revision, Planning and Zoning Department, City of Austin

Were the prime communications and outreach sub-contractor, collaborating with three other sub-consultants to provide public engagement and communications services for the multi-year initiative for the City of Austin’s Land Development Code Revision, branded CodeNEXT. Conducted stakeholder research for messaging and branding, created educational materials, coordinated media news stories, and worked with a broader outreach team to build an outreach approach that engaged a diverse set of residents and community groups, presenting a broad set of interests. Our scope has included providing the City of Austin’s Planning and Development Review Department and Public Information Office with news media recommendations and placements, website content development, creation of initiative collateral materials including handouts, invitations, and flyers in English and Spanish, outreach to stakeholder groups for small group presentations, promote and organize attendance to several large-scale public events and three community workshops. We also implemented an approach for a Community Ambassador Program designed to engage residents who are historically underrepresented in these types of initiatives. In its initial phase of public outreach, the project collected thousands of comments and input from over 800 Austin residents, 40 organizations and civic leaders. In April of 2014, the team delivered a comprehensive Listening to the Community Report which outlined the themes and areas of improvements expressed by those who participated and assisted in the Approaches presentation for a City Council vote.