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Engaging Concord: Outreach Ideas for the New Master Plan
- Aaron Fracht-Monroe
- Nov 16
- 2 min read
The City of Concord is preparing to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the upcoming Master Plan process late this fall, an important opportunity to shape how our city grows, changes, and preserves what makes it special.
At Concord Greenspace Coalition, we see this as the perfect moment to talk about one key piece of the process: community outreach. A successful Master Plan is built on broad, meaningful engagement and that means finding creative ways to reach as many Concord residents as possible. The Mayor is working with NH Listens to start community outreach and we will update you as we get more information about those sessions.
Below are some examples of outreach strategies from other communities across the country that are updating their Master Plans. We hope these examples spark ideas for how Concord can connect with people of all ages, neighborhoods, and perspectives.
Online Hubs
Main Website: Auburn, Maine
Auburn’s dedicated Master Plan website serves as a central hub for project updates, surveys, and interactive maps. It’s an excellent model for an accessible, transparent planning process.
In-Person Events and Creative Engagement
Interactive Neighborhood Workshops: Detroit, Michigan
Detroit’s workshops gave residents hands-on opportunities to explore land use, housing, and transportation scenarios in small-group discussions.
Pop-up "Office Hours": Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk planners met residents where they already were - at local markets, libraries, and events - to gather quick feedback and answer questions.
Kids Play-Map: Dormont, Pennsylvania
Dormont turned community input into a game inviting kids and parents to play with toy people and cars, tracing active transportation routes across a giant play map of the city..
Visioning for Individual Properties: Brewster, Massachusetts
Brewster residents explored development concepts for specific properties, helping ground community visioning in tangible, local examples.
Surveys and Mapping Tools
Visual Preference Survey: South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania
Residents reviewed and rated images of different housing, business, and street types to guide the look and feel of future development.
Direct Mapping Exercise: South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania
An interactive map invited people to suggest where jobs, housing, and open space should go - a visual and engaging way to express community priorities.
Final Products and Implementation
Final Plan Example: Montpelier, Vermont
Montpelier’s online plan showcases clarity, design, and accessibility; a model for how to present Concord’s final plan to the public.
Implementation and Zoning: Kingston, New York
Kingston followed up its Master Plan with easy-to-understand graphics explaining zoning updates and implementation steps, keeping residents informed long after adoption.
What Do You Think?
These examples highlight creative, inclusive ways to bring people into the planning process from playground maps to pop-up offices to digital storytelling. Have you seen other great outreach tools or engagement strategies we should include? How might these ideas be adapted for Concord and your community circles? We’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts with Concord Greenspace Coalition and help shape a Master Plan that reflects every voice through innovative community outreach.