Last updated on Jul 12, 2024

You're striving to engage marginalized stakeholders in urban revitalization. How can you earn their trust?

Urban revitalization projects often aim to transform areas for the better, but without the trust and engagement of marginalized stakeholders, these efforts can fall short of their potential. To earn their trust, you must approach the process with genuine intention, understanding, and a commitment to inclusive development. This means not only inviting participation but also ensuring that the voices of those historically overlooked are heard and valued. To engage marginalized stakeholders successfully, you'll need to build relationships based on respect, transparency, and mutual benefit.

1 Listen Actively

Active listening is foundational in building trust with marginalized communities. It involves more than just hearing words; it means understanding the concerns and aspirations of these stakeholders. By acknowledging their experiences and showing empathy, you create a space where they feel valued and respected. This can be achieved through community meetings, focus groups, and one-on-one conversations where you validate their input and demonstrate a willingness to incorporate their feedback into the urban planning process.

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Daniel POATY POATY

Gérant titulaire chez Cabinet Dan-Consulting
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Pour gagner la confiance des acteurs marginalisés dans la revitalisation urbaine : Écoute active : Organisez des consultations pour comprendre leurs besoins et préoccupations. Transparence : Soyez clair sur vos intentions, objectifs et processus. Inclusion : Impliquez-les dans la prise de décision et les processus de planification. Respect : Valorisez et respectez leurs contributions et leurs connaissances. Actions concrètes : Montrez des résultats tangibles pour prouver votre engagement. Communication continue : Maintenez une communication régulière et ouverte. Partenariats locaux : Collaborez avec des leaders et organisations locales de confiance.

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khalid EL HADRI

CHEF du Département des Études chez Agence Urbaine de Kénitra-Sidi Kacem-Sidi Slimane
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L’écoute active est fondamental dans le mesure où cette technique permet de mieux comprendre les aspirations et les attentes clairement affichées de cette population que celles qui ne sont pas exprimées. Cette démarche permet de creuser davantage la concertation et d’installer le climat de confiance entre le maître d’ouvrage et la population.

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2 Transparency Matters

Transparency in urban planning processes is critical to gaining trust. You must clearly communicate your intentions, plans, and the potential impacts of the revitalization efforts. This includes providing accessible information about the project's timeline, funding, and expected outcomes. By being open about the decision-making process and how community input will be used, you help alleviate suspicions and fears that the revitalization may not be in their best interest.

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khalid EL HADRI

CHEF du Département des Études chez Agence Urbaine de Kénitra-Sidi Kacem-Sidi Slimane
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La transparence est un principe fondamental de l’action publique. Elle permet de garantir l’adhésion de la population et leur appropriation des objectifs des projets. Elle permet également d de renforcer le leadership de l’acteur public et de sa notoriété en faveur de la réussite des projets urbains et la pérennisation de la confiance

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3 Empowerment Through Inclusion

Empowerment is about giving marginalized stakeholders the tools and opportunities to influence the revitalization process actively. This can involve providing resources for community-led initiatives or offering training and capacity-building workshops. When stakeholders feel empowered, they are more likely to trust that the project will benefit them and are more willing to engage constructively in the planning and implementation stages.

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John Zakian, CEcD

Federal Grant and Long Term Disaster Recovery Subject Matter Expert Focused on Economic, Housing and Infrastructure Strategic planning and Development
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What is most important in terms of connecting with individuals and organizations feeling left out of planning projects is to undertake a deep dive to asses indirect impacts as the result of planning outcomes. Often times, obstacles and road blocks arise from achieving outcomes because what was not taken into account were areas, organizations, and people indirectly affected. A classic example is a road traffic calming plan for one area to promote pedestrian safety. What happens is that traffic shifted to other parallel roads impacting pedestrian safety in new areas. It can be very much like a dog chasing its tail. It is prudent to greatly expand out the projected impact area and reach out to those indirectly affected in the expanded area.

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4 Long-Term Commitment

Demonstrating a long-term commitment to the community signals that your engagement is not just for show but is part of a sustained effort to bring about positive change. This can be shown through continuous involvement in community affairs, regular updates on project progress, and maintaining open channels for feedback even after project completion. Trust is built over time, and a genuine long-term commitment to the community's well-being can solidify that trust.

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Cornelia Bonterre

Managing Director at The ARROW Foundation and Waking up the Children
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Always widen your perspective as much as possible to incorporate empathy and genuine respect for the marginalised stakeholders. They are often feeling isolated and unheard, we need to listen and respond empathetically, creating dialogue and relationships with an intention of fair and unified outcomes, lifting self-esteem and dignity. Humility and generosity of time given can be key for successful trustworthy collaborations.

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5 Foster Partnerships

Fostering partnerships with local organizations and leaders who are already trusted by the community can bridge gaps between urban planners and marginalized stakeholders. These partnerships can facilitate better communication and understanding, as these local entities often have insights into the community's needs and concerns. Collaborating with them can enhance credibility and show respect for existing community structures.

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6 Evaluate and Adapt

Finally, regularly evaluating the engagement process and being willing to adapt based on stakeholder feedback is essential. This shows that you are responsive to the community's needs and that their input has a tangible impact on decision-making. Continuous evaluation also allows for the identification of what works and what doesn't, helping to refine strategies for engaging marginalized stakeholders in future projects.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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You're striving to engage marginalized stakeholders in urban revitalization. How can you earn their trust?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Listen Actively

2 Transparency Matters

3 Empowerment Through Inclusion

4 Long-Term Commitment

5 Foster Partnerships

6 Evaluate and Adapt

7 Here’s what else to consider

Urban Planning

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You're striving to engage marginalized stakeholders in urban revitalization. How can you earn their trust?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Listen Actively

2 Transparency Matters

3 Empowerment Through Inclusion

4 Long-Term Commitment

5 Foster Partnerships

6 Evaluate and Adapt

7 Here’s what else to consider

Urban Planning

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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