UrbanTrans Establishes New Community Engagement Practice

UrbanTrans North America, a woman owned and operated transportation planning and behavior change firm, is excited to announce the launch of a new Community Engagement practice. 

UrbanTrans is uniquely positioned to tackle complex topics in the world of transportation planning. We believe that an engaged community is the cornerstone for a successful planning and development project. A positive public participation outcome produces a deeper sense of ownership of the project.  

With offices in Denver, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Toronto, we have established a reputation for developing effective, non-traditional solutions that maximize the performance of existing transportation investments and enhance travel options.  

While our niche is transportation demand management, our projects span the breadth of the transportation industry. We are open to new collaborations in fields from traditional government planning to complex public / private partnerships.  

Our Approach

Community engagement, also known as public participation or public involvement, is the practice of including the public and stakeholders in the planning and decision-making for any project, plan, or organization.

Effective engagement programs use a variety of techniques and approaches to ensure that the right audience is reached, and their voices are heard at the right place and time within a project.

Often there are barriers that stifle engagement from impacted communities. We explore equity pathways for input by the stakeholders who are typically underrepresented when hard to reach by traditional means and media.

Whether using social media, holding virtual or in-person public meetings, conducting door-to-door outreach, or building local partnerships, UrbanTrans North America can open doors to more diverse and robust community engagement.

Through an audience-first approach, we listen and strive to incorporate the needs of all stakeholders, including partner agencies, commuters, developers, employers, property managers and residents.  

• Listen – We work with clients to comprehend their goals and objectives by hearing what they have to tell us. Then we systematically craft the mission and purpose of a project for success.
• Build Relationships – We create pathways that foster connections with everyone – from individual interactions to corporate partnerships – to bring a clear understanding of the project and offer feedback opportunities for all.
• Facilitate Collaborative Dialogue – We seek out the conversations that spur innovative ideas and positive project outcomes.
• Seek Out Input – We rely on public feedback to guide decision-making throughout the planning and development process. We seek to understand feedback with an open mind, not by applying established concepts to their comments and ideas.
• Empower the Underrepresented – We work to understand each person in the community and their concerns so we can conduct equitable outreach and incorporate diverse voices across language, race, and socio-economic status.

Our transparent and forthright style of community engagement work strives for collective decision-making to create a space where all stakeholders are encouraged to take ownership and actions that propel a project forward to success.

We work across a spectrum of engagement practices to inform, consult, involve, collaborate, and empower individuals and communities we work with. We believe this creates a successful engagement environment with a thoughtful, intentional plan with the participant at the forefront of the strategy.