By Daniel Cash, One KC Voice Program Coordinator
What is the role of the citizen, in citizen engagement?
We recently completed two major projects that have the potential to have a great impact on quality of life in the Kansas City region over the next 20–30 years. The first, Imagine KC, asked citizens to imagine a sustainable Kansas City — where growth and infrastructure are managed, and personal and corporate behaviors adapt to create an environmentally balanced region. The second, Transportation Outlook 2040, looked at regional policies that will guide future transportation investments.
They were huge successes, with participation from large numbers of citizens in open and candid discussion about difficult issues. In the case of Imagine KC, the conversation reached into about 73,000 households through a live telecast on KCPT public television. Transportation Outlook 2040 engaged citizens across demographic categories and in every county in the region.
Although we had record numbers of participants in these projects, we know some either chose not to participate or didn’t hear about the opportunity to contribute their voices. How do we engage them? Are the voices of some segments of our population simply not heard? What role does individual choice play in engagement?
I recommend you take a few minutes out of your busy day and view the “Song of a Citizen” series of op-eds. Song of a Citizen’s producer, Jeffrey Abelson, has recorded eight great thinkers (so far) who share their thoughts about democracy, or in his words, “re-linking the self to self-government.”
I especially suggest you watch Michael X. Delli Carpini’s (dean of the Annenberg School for Communication at UPenn) piece entitled “Constant Vigilance” and Rick Shenkman’s (historian, NY Times best-selling author, and founder of the History News Network) video entitled “Are citizens up to the job?”
What are your thoughts on these videos? What is the state of citizen engagement in the Kansas City region?
The state of the region
June 26, 2009By Daniel Cash, One KC Voice Program Coordinator
What is the role of the citizen, in citizen engagement?
We recently completed two major projects that have the potential to have a great impact on quality of life in the Kansas City region over the next 20–30 years. The first, Imagine KC, asked citizens to imagine a sustainable Kansas City — where growth and infrastructure are managed, and personal and corporate behaviors adapt to create an environmentally balanced region. The second, Transportation Outlook 2040, looked at regional policies that will guide future transportation investments.
They were huge successes, with participation from large numbers of citizens in open and candid discussion about difficult issues. In the case of Imagine KC, the conversation reached into about 73,000 households through a live telecast on KCPT public television. Transportation Outlook 2040 engaged citizens across demographic categories and in every county in the region.
Although we had record numbers of participants in these projects, we know some either chose not to participate or didn’t hear about the opportunity to contribute their voices. How do we engage them? Are the voices of some segments of our population simply not heard? What role does individual choice play in engagement?
I recommend you take a few minutes out of your busy day and view the “Song of a Citizen” series of op-eds. Song of a Citizen’s producer, Jeffrey Abelson, has recorded eight great thinkers (so far) who share their thoughts about democracy, or in his words, “re-linking the self to self-government.”
I especially suggest you watch Michael X. Delli Carpini’s (dean of the Annenberg School for Communication at UPenn) piece entitled “Constant Vigilance” and Rick Shenkman’s (historian, NY Times best-selling author, and founder of the History News Network) video entitled “Are citizens up to the job?”
What are your thoughts on these videos? What is the state of citizen engagement in the Kansas City region?