Public Engagement During COVID-19 – Hapa Collaborative

Design for public realm is invigorated by public debate, deep and personalized engagement with stakeholders and neighbours, and by novel ways of raising the quality of design discourse. We see the public engagement process as the epitome of ‘democracy in action’, resulting in the best possible example of public space. From the curb to the plaza and all the way to the building, Hapa Collaborative uses innovative engagement practices to create places for all ages and abilities, through the process of collaboration.

Adapting to Change

Everything we know about work is changing: where it’s done, how it’s done and who does it. As designers, we work to create conditions where vital dialogues flourish, but as the circumstances of work evolve so must our mastery of new venues for dialogue facilitation. Our goal is to provide opportunities for input by various engagement techniques, and connect with people at the depth of participation they wish.

Ensuring Safety

Public consultation events are looking a little different now, although many residents still want to come out and have their say when it comes to shaping their community. At this socially distant time, this means we must design the event in a way that adheres to all safety requirements, providing each visitor with enough personal space, one-directional circulation, and sanitizing stations.

Open House for Shoreline Trail, Port Moody

When consulting the community of Port Moody, Hapa teamed up with the City of Port Moody and KWL Engineering to provide rationale and collect feedback for the presented concepts. Placed along the trail, the presentation boards showed project information and colourful concept artwork that focused on the potential future benefits of the Shoreline Trail redesign and expansion. Qualified staff ensured all questions were answered and taken into account for the next design phase.

Open House for Eastern Park, City of North Vancouver

Similarly, the City of North Vancouver held an Open House for the future Eastern Park in the plaza by the City Hall and Public Library – a space in the heart of the city. Presentation boards were spaced out and displayed on site, with renderings, and QR codes/links to a project website that features additional information and questionnaires.

Open House for Peter Pollen Park, City of Victoria

When working on the digital Open House for Peter Pollen Park with the City of Victoria, we visually represented our findings in a clear, simple way to establish understanding of the project’s needs. “What we heard” was summarized in a series of diagrams that helped provide a baseline for further discussion. These materials were available for download on the City of Victoria’s website, along with video content and additional information.

Providing Accessibility

Planning for digital community engagement needs to focus on identifying and accessing audiences online, providing engaging content, and enabling learning and feedback opportunities. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, digital engagement has become preferable to some visitors. Making sure content is readily available, responsive and adheres to accessibility guidelines is crucial.

Use of QR Codes

The main idea for physically distant engagement could be summarized with one word: touchless. Contactless QR codes are useful when bridging the gap between physical and digital space, providing direct links to project information and online questionnaires and allowing the individual to stay in their bubble while having access to everything at their fingertips.

Accessible Video Content with Transcripts

Another important consideration when delivering digital content to the community is accessibility, particularly for the visually impaired. The City of North Vancouver is taking a lead by creating accessible videos that include captions, transcripts and an audio description of visual content. Presentation boards (in PDF format) can also be downloaded and viewed at one’s own pace.

Allowing for Deeper Engagement

The benefits of community engagement are endless, and the most effective community consultation is derived from a combination of traditional and online discussions. With all information available in-person and at their fingertips, community members can now take the time to study the proposed concepts, be more engaged to have a discussion and have a better overall participant experience. Through more direct engagement, we can uncover hidden/peripheral issues or ideas.

Data Driven Decisions

For a great example of how we collect feedback and draw conclusions, visit Hamersley Park project page where you can download information boards and public consultation summaries, results of which informed the final redesign of the park.

Designing Better Communities

Early inclusion of the community can add significant value to a project as it enables us to use stakeholder opinions to shape the scope and vision of the project, gain early support and address the community’s issues at the start, and minimize risks by identifying threats and problems early.

Community feedback allows us to make smart decisions and optimize our projects to perform, delight and empower all lifestyles. Whether online or in the park, we love hearing what you think about our work and how we could make it better. The more information we collect, the better we can respond to the needs of your community.

Let’s continue to improve and rethink how we live, work and play. See you at the next Open House!