engageHagerstown answers the question: What’s your big idea for downtown?
(Boonton, NJ, November 6, 2014) — To draw the community into an ongoing conversation, the city of Hagerstown, MD, launched its engageHagerstown website.
The city posts questions and moderates discussions about important topics that will shape the future of the downtown.
The inaugural question was: “What’s your big idea for downtown?”
That first question generated “a ton of feedback,” says Sarah Nelson, planning and outreach coordinator for the city.
Building on that success, the city has queried the public and kept the conversation going around topics including public art, walkability, the downtown farmers market, and more.
“We have a team that works on the questions, and our staff meets regularly to talk about what topics to post,” says Nelson. “We review a large portion of the ideas and let participants know if they are feasible, which ones we are working on, what we are able to do, so they are getting feedback from us in real time on how their ideas are informing city decisions.”
More on engageHagerstown, complete streets programs, and a downtown living initiative appear in the November issue of Downtown Idea Exchange.
###
About the Downtown Research & Development Center
For over 50 years, the Downtown Research & Development Center has acted as the information clearinghouse on practical strategies and tactics for revitalizing the hearts of our cities and towns.
The Group\'s main activities include publishing the widely influential Downtown Idea Exchange and Downtown Promotion Reporter newsletters; publishing relevant books and reports; and operating the DowntownDevelopment.com website.
Website: http://www.DowntownDevelopment.com