Here are five inspiring topics to engage your community and gather valuable insights on enhancing public spaces.

Enhancing green spaces

Green spaces are vital for community well-being, providing areas for recreation, relaxation, and socializing. Residents value these spaces as places to unwind, exercise, and connect with nature and their neighbors. Studies have shown a positive link between access to green space and overall well-being.

‍One such study, performed by the University of Wisconsin (US), compared levels of stress, anxiety, and depression from 2,500 residents across 229 cities and towns with the amount of vegetation in participants’ neighborhoods. Interestingly, the study found that green space had a stronger influence on happiness than socioeconomic status.Given this compelling evidence, enhancing green spaces should be a priority for local governments seeking to boost community well-being.

‍Examples from our Go Vocal community:

• Seattle, the United States: Seattle Parks & Recreation leveraged Go Vocal’s Mapping tool and integration with ESRI to advance park equity and ensure all residents have access to clean, safe green spaces. The team used a city map enhanced with ESRI-stored layers to highlight areas where the need for green spaces or improvements to existing parks is most critical. This allowed participants to add their ideas with informed knowledge of their community's specific needs.

• Beverwijk, the Netherlands: Residents can pin on a map where they think the local government could replace concrete with green. The interactive map on the Go Vocal engagement platform allows community members to actively participate in transforming their urban environment, ensuring that green spaces are developed in areas where they are most desired and needed.

Improving safety

A community can't thrive without feeling safe - in all aspects. Residents' voices are crucial if you want to get a clearer picture of where safety improvements are most needed. They know their neighborhoods best and can pinpoint areas needing better lighting, clearer signs, or more patrols. They can also identify unsafe playgrounds, sidewalks in need of repair that make it difficult for less mobile people to get around, or even streets that lack proper crosswalks. By tapping into their experiences, you can ensure interventions address real problems, not just assumptions.

‍Examples from our Go Vocal community:

• Lambeth, United Kingdom: Lambeth Council launched a survey to gather insights on the concerns, perceptions, and experiences of the women and girls in its community in public spaces. Community members can identify specific spots where they may not feel safe, suggest necessary improvements, and provide feedback on implemented measures. Additionally, the information collected will guide discussions with the police. A map-based tool enables participants to drop a pin on specific locations and answer relevant questions, making the feedback process straightforward and precise.
• Waddinxveen, the Netherlands: In Waddinxveen, the local government has launched an initiative asking residents to pinpoint locations where accessibility issues exist, such as street poles placed too close together, ramps that are too steep for wheelchair users, and sidewalks in poor condition. This crowd-sourced information allows the municipality to prioritize necessary improvements and ensure that public spaces are accessible to all community members.

‍Developing bike lanes

Summer brings out the cyclists! As more people hop on bikes for fun and exercise with friends and family, the need for safe and accessible bike lanes becomes even clearer. But well-designed bike lanes aren't just a seasonal perk - they promote healthier lifestyles, reduce traffic congestion, and lower our environmental impact all year round.

‍Examples from our Go Vocal community:

• Charenton-le-Pont, France: This charming town, a stone's throw away from Paris and surrounded by an abundance of green spaces, implemented a comprehensive process to engage residents in developing a bike plan. Initially, a technical assessment and a survey gathered input on mobility and cycling, highlighting key concerns like signage and network continuity. Subsequently, residents marked improvement areas on a map and suggested locations for bike repair stations and racks, with opportunities to vote on final options.

‍Celebrating local art, culture, and heritage

Many public spaces today lack character, feeling bland and uninviting. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this can discourage residents from using them and hinder a sense of community spirit.We see (local) governments worldwide transforming their public spaces by infusing them with art and culture, turning available spaces into vibrant community hubs that reflect local heritage. Imagine murals telling your town's story, public art installations sparking conversations, and cultural events bringing residents together.

‍Examples from our Go Vocal community:

• Kortenberg, Belgium: In an effort to celebrate local art and bring vibrancy to public spaces, the town of Kortenberg called upon its residents to nominate their own façades or suggest locations where they envisioned murals, using an interactive map . After a jury selected two winning locations, in-person workshops were held for the community members to review the proposed murals and select the artists whose designs resonated most with them.
• Culemborg, the Netherlands: The town of Culemborg empowered residents to choose a new annual cultural event. Creative minds in the community were invited to submit their ideas for an event on an online idea forum. Proposals were evaluated against previously established criteria, emphasizing sustainability and the potential for long-term impact. Three standout ideas were selected for a public vote. Using Go Vocal’s Approval Voting feature, one of the different Voting Methods available in the toolbox, the community buzzed with activity as residents cast their votes. The platform saw 1,020 people voting online, while an additional 121 residents participated in offline voting, demonstrating the inclusive nature of the initiative.

Adopting ideas from other cities and towns

We all know the feeling of encountering a brilliant initiative in another town and wishing we could take it home with us. This summer, tap into your residents' travel experiences and turn them into a wellspring of inspiration for your own community.

You can either welcome a wide range of ideas or encourage residents to share suggestions that address specific challenges your community faces. Is traffic congestion a nightmare? Ask community members to share innovative traffic calming measures they've seen elsewhere. Do public parks lack play equipment for younger children? Encourage submissions showcasing unique playgrounds in other cities.This approach fosters openness to new ideas and gives your community a platform to share travel stories in a meaningful way.

‍Use the lived experiences of your community to the fullest

‍By focusing on these five engaging topics, you can spark community participation and gather invaluable insights on enhancing public spaces. This resident-driven approach ensures public spaces become vibrant hubs that contribute to a happier, healthier, and safer community for all.

‍Ready to ignite resident engagement and create thriving public spaces?

‍See how other local governments are leveraging Go Vocal’s platform for impactful community engagement! Explore real-world case studies and discover how you can:

• Boost resident participation rates with engaging tools and features.
• Gather valuable insights on community needs and aspirations.
• Empower residents to shape the future of their public spaces.

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