Moving Beyond Reactionary Community Engagement
In 2020, Raleigh began transitioning away from the reactionary community engagement model in use since the 1970’s. That model relied almost exclusively on Citizen Advisory Councils (“CAC’s”) and other self-selecting techniques to gather input from residents. Some critics argued at the time that CACs did not adequately represent the racial and socioeconomic diversity of the City. This is supported by emerging research suggesting that older, wealthier single-family homeowners attend community meetings and oppose new housing developments in greater numbers than other residents. Even with the move to virtual meetings due to COVID, this overrepresentation continues.
Reactionary community engagement tends to perpetuate the status quo at the expense of renters and historically marginalized communities. When residents oppose new housing, it increases housing costs by depressing the available supply of new housing, not to mention the added expenses caused by delays as developers negotiate with neighbors and elected officials. Opposition to a recent proposal to build townhouses in the Hayes Barton neighborhood exemplifies how this happens. Beyond housing impacts, reactionary community engagement does very little to build relationships or restore trust between residents and city leaders, particularly among lower income and historically marginalized communities.
Replacing an entrenched community engagement system that persisted for nearly 40 years is not easy and will not be quick. Raleigh is making progress, however. City Council created a new Office of Community Engagement and funded several staff positions. It recently appointed a new Community Engagement Board charged with reviewing the City’s overall approach to community engagement, with particular attention to “[e]levating “ the voices and needs of communities that have historically been marginalized within government decision-making processes.” This focus on engaging marginalized communities is not limited to the Office of Community Engagement either. Council also authorized the creation and funding for an Office of Equity and Inclusion with primary responsibility for implementing the City’s Racial Equity Action Plan.
Being more intentional about engaging residents beyond the wealthy and politically active is starting to permeate the City’s organizational culture. The Planning Department hired its first “neighborhood ambassador” to help reach deeper into the community as part of the Dix Edge Area Study. To address concerns about gentrification and equity as Raleigh implements Bus Rapid Transit, City Council adopted an Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Guidebook. It also established a “Public Project Community Support Fund” designed to offset the impacts of large public investments and provide support businesses and residents in affected areas.
Since eliminating support for CAC’s, Raleigh has become more intentional about how it approaches community engagement. It needs to continue shifting resources and energy away from engaging residents on a hyper-local, project-by-project basis by expanding the kinds of projects that can be approved by staff administratively. The Missing Middle text change and legalizing accessory dwelling units are a good start. Though it will take political courage to sustain those changes, not to mention seeking ways to go even further. On the other hand, additional resources are needed to build trust and civic capacity across the City, particularly within historically marginalized communities. Council should consider increasing funding to expand intensive community outreach efforts like the use of neighborhood ambassadors. It also should encourage City staff, as well as the Community Engagement Board to develop actionable plans that emphasize building trust with residents through collaborative community engagement. More importantly, Council must be willing to provide adequate resources to implement those plans as they are developed. Over time, focusing on collaborative community engagement will build trust between residents and the City, while giving residents a stake in the future of Raleigh.