March 30 Newsletter
Hello, and welcome to RaleighForward on Substack!
National Civic League Recap
On March 20, 2025, RaleighForward, WakeUp and the City of Raleigh hosted a transformative workshop led by the National Civic League’s Nick Vlahos and Raleigh’s Director of Community Engagement, Tiehsa Mosley. They explored innovative tools for civic and community engagement. In addition, the workshop brought together local leaders, community members, and policy advocates to learn how Raleigh can enhance public participation and build greater trust in government.
In response to the program, we have received positive feedback suggesting City leaders are planning to explore how to implement some of the tools and techniques discussed during the presentation. We truly appreciated Mayor Janet Cowell and Councilor Megan Patton for attending.
Key Takeaways from the Workshop
Citizens' Assemblies. A major focus of the event was the concept of Citizens' Assemblies, where a diverse group of residents is randomly selected to deliberate on local issues and offer recommendations to policymakers. Participants discussed the effectiveness of this model in increasing community representation and fostering more informed public decision-making. Examples like Petaluma, CA, demonstrated successful implementation.
Reforming Public Meetings. The workshop emphasized reimagining traditional public meetings to encourage inclusive participation. Strategies included eliminating the traditional dais and microphone setup to create more equitable roundtable discussions. Residents were particularly interested in piloting study session formats where council members engage directly with residents.
Expanding Asynchronous Participation. Digital tools like Pol.is and Decidim were highlighted as methods for engaging the public in decision-making beyond live meetings. These platforms enable residents to provide input at their convenience, broadening participation for those unable to attend in person.
Strengthening Neighborhood Networks. The importance of robust civic infrastructure was another key theme. Examples from New York City’s Community Boards and Los Angeles’ Neighborhood Councils showcased how localized governance can foster meaningful community input. Participants discussed how Raleigh could build similar models to support neighborhood-level engagement.
Looking Ahead
Raleigh residents and leaders left the workshop with actionable ideas for strengthening civic participation. From piloting Citizens' Assemblies to leveraging digital engagement platforms, there is momentum to innovate how the City involves its residents in policymaking more efficiently and effectively. By reaching a broader, more representative sample of Raleigh residents in less time, the City will be better positioned to design and build projects more quickly and efficiently. Additionally, the opportunity to apply for the All-America City Award in 2026 could spotlight Raleigh’s commitment to inclusive civic engagement.
» You can review Nick’s presentation here.
» You can review the scorecard from the poll at the end of the presentation here.
Walter Magazine covers WakeUp Wake County x RaleighForward Annual Reception
On Dec. 5, the WakeUP Wake County and RaleighForward Annual Reception took place at Artspace. The theme was “Raising the Roof | Housing Choices for Wake County.” The keynote speaker was Vicki Been, faculty director of New York University’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy; Been spoke about how Wake County can learn from other cities and regions to create diverse and affordable housing options.
Land Use Bills filed in NC Senate
A number of bills were filed in the North Carolina Senate that address land use.
Senate Bill 688, the Local Government Land Use Reform Act, proposes substantial amendments to local planning and development regulations. This legislation would significantly alter the regulatory landscape for cities and counties, with implications for housing supply, affordability, and local governance.
Click here for further analysis from RaleighForward.
Our friends at CityBuilder, where RaleighForward Founder Eric Braun serves on the Board of Directors, published a great legislative alert covering some of the other bills filed.
Articles of interest:
The Billionaire’s Town, from Bloomberg.
Affordable Housing Developers Stalled by Blocked Federal Funds, from Bloomberg.
Paris Votes to Make 500 More Streets Car-Free, from Bloomberg.
Efficiency or Civic Engagement? At Houston City Council Meetings, You Have to Pick One, via Houston Landing.
Empowering Future Choices. How Forward-Thinking Perspectives Can Inspire Voter Engagement, via SCIENMAG.
Here’s the 1 big reason American cities can’t build 3-flats anymore — and how classic housing types like the ‘triple-decker’ and ‘painted ladies’ could help solve the US housing crisis, via moneywise.
As noted above in the CityBuilder legislation alert, the NC General Assembly is considering a bill that would legalize single-stair construction. Here is an article discussing the issue: The Single Stair Solution: A Path to More Affordable, Diverse and Sustainable Housing. NOTE: CityBuilder also has a nice explainer by Payton Chung on Single Stair here.
Here is an additional article on the safety of single-stair buildings from Pew.
Speaking of building safety, fire codes and fire chiefs have significant control over site design, building placement as well as driveways and road design. In the US, we use very large vehicles that require significant turning radii. I came across this article again by Payton Chung that explores the small fire trucks used in Japan.
How to Improve and Expand Ownership of Manufactured Homes, from Pew.
Items of interest in the week ahead:
Raleigh City Council meets on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Here are a few items of interest:
During Council’s Retreat in January, it discussed updates to the City’s Strategic Plan. Staff will provide an update to Council and the feedback provided during the meeting will be used to complete an updated Strategic Plan. Click here for more information.
Council continues working to ensure Raleigh City employees are fairly and competitively compensated. To that end, Council will receive a presentation on the results of its latest classification and compensation study. Click here for more information.
Council will conduct a public hearing for a text change seeking to clarify that a townhouse can be on a single lot, or that there can be multiple townhouses on a lot.
Other community meetings and items of interest:
The City will hold a public meeting on April 3rd on the 2026-2030 Consolidated Plan. The City of Raleigh is requesting community input on the draft Consolidated Plan. The plan describes how the City will use federal and local funds to create affordable housing, address homelessness, and serve low- and moderate-income communities over the next five years. Click here for details.
Mayor Janet Cowell gave her first State of the City Address on March 27. Click here for a summary of her remarks and a video replay.