The Project Website

When a project requires public comment, it can be important to create a presence that isn’t allied with any one team member, in order to empower the public as the primary stakeholders. An agency or design team may not want to post information on a regular city website because they want to separate the project from the more monolithic presence of a governmental agency. The idea is to make the project feel more public, more self-contained and specific, and to give people a sense of ownership of the process.

The collection of public comment can be a major piece of creating a Project Website, made possible by the blogging software platform that we use. This aspect offers people a sense of empowerment. Instead of being a single voice that might get lost in the size and complexity of a large city site, a visitor or a person who comments has the chance to express themselves publicly and feel heard, not just by city officials but by their fellow citizens (who might have lots to say in return), and to do that not only at public meetings but anytime, from the privacy of their own home or the local library.