Provide ongoing education for local government leadership, city council, and planning commission on current market realities, (re)development goals, and plans.

Local government leaders, city council, and planners make better and more informed development decisions when they understand land use and development issues. Continued training can bridge the gaps in knowledge when officials and staff turnover and is critical for the efficient functioning of a community’s (re)development processes.

Consider hosting a ULI Minnesota public officials education workshop. Visit Navigating Your Competitive Future to learn more.

For more information on collaborative efforts, read the full Michigan Redevelopment Ready Communities Best Practices tool and the League of Minnesota Cities Public Officials Training Handbook.

Create an education plan when turnover of elected and appointed policy leaders occurs.

An education plan should identify training needs and track attendance of the governing body, boards, commissions, and staff. The community should track and identify trainings that assist in accomplishing their stated goals and objectives. The ongoing education effort requires a source of funding allocated by elected and appointed officials and staff.

Conduct site visits and tours of other successful projects for policy leaders. Conduct stakeholder engagement sessions/neighborhood meetings; engage underrepresented communities

The most successful plans and proposals gain input from diverse stakeholders beyond the master plan update. These stakeholders may include those who are not normally included. Proactive practices and methods include charrettes, one­-on­-one interviews, canvassing, community workshops, focus groups, social networking, and crowd-­sourcing.

As an example, the Regional Equity and Community Engagement team within the Partnership for Regional Opportunity (sponsored by the Metropolitan Council) produced a Twin Cities Equitable Development Principles & Scorecard with recommendations for equitable best practices in development and larger planning processes. The Scorecard contains categories for land use, economic development, community engagement, housing, and transportation for review with community members, developers, city staff, and other stakeholders. Tools such as the Equitable Development Principles & Scorecard can help to spark productive dialogue about social equity.

For more information on stakeholder engagement, read the University of Minnesota Tip Sheets for Engaging the Public.

Achieve and document stakeholder support for the (re)development plan or plans.

Stakeholders can be notified about engagement opportunities with traditional media such as postcard mailings, flyers, website postings, and newspaper postings and with more proactive practices such as canvassing, social networking, and individual mailings. Proactive participation efforts can utilize community workshops, charrettes, and focus groups to gain input and built support. Community participation results should be communicated in a consistent and transparent manner.

Develop working relationships with developers to foster mutually beneficial trust and collaboration.

The 2007 recession seriously affected the development community. Qualified developers who remain in business are selective about the communities in which they work and are looking for predictability and flexibility during times of scarce resources. Cities which embrace collaborative approaches to solving problems, identify and pursue partnerships, manage development risks, improve decision making skills and develop clear expectations will rise to the top during difficult economic times. One way to develop these relationships is to hold workshops with developers. ULI MN’s Navigating Your Competitive Future workshops are designed to foster a dialogue between the public and private sector about the opportunities and challenges inherent in a new economy based upon shifts in the market and changing demographics.