1 of 26

EQUITABLE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

JUNE 14, 2023

2 of 26

SESSION 1: THE CASE FOR EQUITY

The practical arguments for people-centered, equity-focused engagement.

SESSION 2: THE HOWS AND WHYS

Concrete ideas to advance your urban forestry efforts.

SESSION 3: ENGAGEMENT MAKEOVER

Taking your resident relationships from good to great.

IN THIS SERIES

3 of 26

This Session

​

    • Review the principles of Equitable Engagement/Justice Frameworks

​

    • Learn and apply the spectrum of community engagement

​

    • Apply principles to the planting and stewardship phases of local urban forestry initatives

Planting and Stewardship

4 of 26

BENFITS OF ECE

TRUST

Higher rates of tree survival

Meet community needs

Repair longterm harm

Resident priorities are complex

Faciliate future initatives

STEWARDSHIP

DIVERSIFICATION

EASE

5 of 26

6 of 26

"INFORMING" IN PRACTICE

    • Lowest level of engagement- Knowledge goes one way
    • Ok to use but must be paired with others
    • Consider diversity in how people learn (fliers vs. field trip)
    • Language/Ability justice (e.g. Spanish-first meeting; on demand videos with closed captioning)

​

7 of 26

"CONSULTATION" IN PRACTICE

    • Knowledge is now bidirectional
    • Only just if done before foundational decisions are made
    • Ok to use but must be paired with others
    • Great place to use maps as an interactive activity to understand challenges, test that against residents' understanding

​

    • Traditionally used in an unjust way "hey! this is what we decided, what do you think!?"
    • Elevate consultation by using consultation as a learning exercise for decision makers: "how do you view the ISSUE/our understanding of the CHALLENGES and your PRIORITIES?"

8 of 26

"INVOLVEMENT" IN PRACTICE

    • Formal structure (e.g. resident advisory group)
    • Pay people for their time
    • Smaller group sticks closer to the issue and facilitates bidirectional learning and communication

9 of 26

"COLLABORATION" IN PRACTICE

    • Translate ideas and priorities into actions or policies
    • Cogeneration of ideas
    • Paid resident advisory group

​

10 of 26

"DEFERRAL" IN PRACTICE

    • Residents have veto power
    • Can send major elements back to the drawing board for redesign/reconsideration
    • Their home, their choice.

11 of 26

FRAMEWORK IN ACTION

Tanner Yess

Groundwork Ohio River Valley

Workforce Development

Sarah Calderon

Groundwork Richmond, CA

Tree-Fence

Tennis Lilly Groundwork Lawrence

Public Private Plantings

12 of 26

SARAH CALDERON

13 of 26

Learn and Acknowledge the Context

Did you directly cause the harm?

Probably not, but you represent the apparatus that did.

​

​

Inform + Consultation

14 of 26

What should we refuse?

Shared Leadership and Decision Making

Veto power

Agenda setting

They know what you know

Listening

​

Collaboration and Deferral

​

15 of 26

SARAH CALDERON

16 of 26

BREAKOUT

What community history/context is important to acknowledge in the communities in which you work? If you aren't sure, how might you find out?

​

​

17 of 26

TENNIS LILLY

18 of 26

What should we refuse?

Meet People Where They Are

Literally and Figuratively

​

Inform, Consult, Involve

19 of 26

Build Capacity & Shared Knoweldge

Rethink the experts

​

​

Collaboration and Involvement

20 of 26

TENNIS LILLY

21 of 26

07

BREAKOUT

In what ways can residents have shared leadership and decision making authority over urban forestry efforts in your community? What barriers are there to this level of participation on your end and on theirs?

​

​

22 of 26

TANNER YESS

05

23 of 26

What should we refuse?

Compensate People For Their Time

Rethink the experts

​

Involve, Collaborate

24 of 26

TANNER YESS

Building Local Capacity and Shared Knowledge

Meet People Where they Are

​

​

25 of 26

07

BREAKOUT

What opportunities are there to build community knowledge and expertise within your urban forestry initiatives? What might that look like?

​

Who currently handles tree planting and stewardship in your community?

​

26 of 26

THANK

YOU