The surprising power of productive venting
By Susan Charland, AICP When I'm working on a controversial or complex project, one of my favorite opening exercises at a public meeting is a productive venting session. During this…
Photo by Anshu A on Unsplash
Five Tips for a Safe In-Person Public Meeting
By Jen Topa Back in August 2020, we shared tips on how to hold safe in-person pop-up events. As we approach the one-year mark of the end of public meetings…
We’re Hiring Transit Ambassadors!
Highland Planning is a 14-year old public engagement firm based in Rochester, NY. We are hiring up to 40 motivated, personable, and reliable individuals aged 18 or older to provide…
Three ways to improve your data presentation game
By Christopher Dunne What do Galileo, War and Peace, and violin manufacturers have in common? For Edward Tufte, the eminent statistician and data visualization guru, they are all opportunities to…
The Gift of Listening
By Susan Charland Over the last few months, we have shared insights about our firm’s core values: Honor people, Go to Them, and Make it Sparkle. Now we turn to…
Honoring People and the Importance of Assuming Positive Intent
By Christopher Dunne At Highland Planning, we have four core values that inform our work. In the Before Times, it was easy to remember these values since they were taped…
Better Dialogue, Better Decisions
By Tanya Zwahlen The last few months have brought dissent to the foreground. From Black Lives Matter to anti-mask demonstrations to protests about the Rochester City School District budget cuts, we are observing the state of our nation and reflecting on what protests represent to our communities. We are also thinking about how they…
The (Surprising!) Benefits of Virtual Engagement
by Charvi Gupta You might think that the COVID-19 pandemic would spell disaster for public engagement. How can we get input from the public when we can’t even gather together…
Three Ways to Make Public Engagement Great During the COVID-19 Era
We need public engagement more than ever. But we have to completely rethink how we do it. The act of gathering in groups to discuss issues and solve problems is…
Sunlight and Disinfectant: Open Meeting Law During the COVID-19 Outbreak
Complying with the Open Meeting Law (OML) in New York State can be perceived as a challenge for government bodies. To understand the hurdles OML presents for governments, small private…