Digital Community Engagement Platform for Inclusive Neighborhood Planning

Community planning processes traditionally rely on physical meetings and paper surveys, marginalizing residents with busy schedules or less technological access. This results in unrepresentative input, particularly from younger, working, or diverse demographic groups. The challenge is to create an accessible digital platform enabling all residents to contribute to neighborhood development plans conveniently and effectively.

A local government authority or community planning organization seeking to facilitate accessible and inclusive public participation in neighborhood development initiatives.

• Develop a mobile-first digital platform to enable residents to view and contribute to neighborhood development plans.
• Enhance community participation by providing an engaging, easy-to-use interface suitable for diverse demographic groups.
• Allow administrative management of multiple local neighborhood plans and data collection of public feedback.
• Achieve increased resident engagement and more representative input on local development policies.
• Facilitate ongoing feedback and data analysis to inform effective urban planning decisions.

• User authentication with login/password system for secure and personalized access.
• Landing page with clear explanations of how the platform works.
• Dedicated pages for each neighborhood development plan, featuring thematic contribution areas.
• Interactive maps showing geographical regions related to each plan.
• Display of policy statements and related visual data.
• Feature for residents to comment, suggest improvements, and vote on policies.
• Time-limited contribution windows to focus engagement periods.
• Admin dashboard for plan setup, theme and policy configuration, and data management.
• Data export capabilities for feedback analysis.
• Mobile-first responsive design with an intuitive user journey.

• Mapping APIs for geographical visualization
• Content management system for updating policies and thematic data
• Analytics and reporting tools for feedback data management

• Mobile-first responsive design prioritizing user experience on smartphones and tablets
• High system availability with at least 99.5% uptime
• Data security protocols ensuring resident feedback confidentiality
• Fast load times with pre-rendering and optimized asset delivery
• Scalability to support increasing user base across multiple locations

The implementation of this digital community engagement platform is expected to significantly increase resident participation, leading to more representative and inclusive neighborhood development plans. Anticipated outcomes include higher engagement rates, improved policy transparency, and richer community feedback, ultimately fostering stronger community trust and smarter urban planning decisions.