1. New Tools for Civic Dialogue
Nontraditional Methods in Community Engagement
Kim Thurlow
New River Valley Planning District Commission &
New River Valley Livability Initiative
April 24, 2013

2. Virginia’s New River Valley:
• mostly rural and small
university towns
• Decline in manufacturing
jobs in rural counties
• Troubling health statistics
• Aging population
• 10 topic areas – looking
for intersections

3. Our Outreach Goals
these may sound familiar….
• Broad representation
• Reaching the harder to reach
• Common priorities across region and …..
• Particular needs of communities within region
• Two-way communication
• Build capacity for civic problem-solving

4. • Low accessibility for non-
experts.
• Unclear how citizen input
impacts process or
outcomes.
• Emerging proposals appear
to be “done deals”
Public Meeting
Citizens input is “welcome” at
a public hearing on codes,
bylaws, ordinances and other
things beloved by
bureaucrats.
Tuesday at 6 p.m. in a room
with uncomfortable chairs.
Parking limited.
Civic Access to Public Policy Development

5. The Town Hall
• Who does it work for?
• How does the public perceive its role?
• High stakes, zero-sum outcomes
• Dialogue low, often absent
• Proposal may pass but…

6. Story Circles and
Performance Theatre

11. Further Collaborations: Sojourn Theater and BUILT NRV
BUILT Game
core values and priorities
key tensions and tradeoffs
obstacles, challenges
potential action strategies

12. A Different Community Conversation: BUILT NRV

13. A Different Community Conversation: BUILT NRV

14. • Individual Priorities
• Collaboration –
Neighborhood/Town
A Different Community Conversation: BUILT NRV

15. A Different Community Conversation: BUILT NRV

16. A Different Community Conversation: BUILT NRV

17. NRV Livability Initiative: BUILT NRV
• Individual Priorities
• Collaboration –
Neighborhood/Town
• Integration –
Town/County
A Different Community Conversation: BUILT NRV

18. Participant Reflections - BUILT NRV
“Perspective is a powerful driver behind
choices. Sometimes we make decisions too
quickly without considering the impacts,
however small and unintentional, that they
may have on other people.”
(It made me think…..) “about the importance
of understanding community dynamics,
recognizing that compromises will have to
be made, but working together as a whole it
can be made better.”

19. Kim Thurlow, Livability Initiative Program Coordinator
kthurlow@nrvpdc.org, www.nrvlivability.org
Virginia Tech, Masters of Directing & Public Dialogue:
Jon Catherwood-Ginn, lead researcher, rjginn@gmail.com
Sojourn Theater/BUILT game:
Liam-Kaas-Lentz liam@thecpcp.org
NRV Tomorrow Interactive Survey:
Jocelyn Hittle, PlaceMatters, jocelyn@placematters.org
Contacts and Additional Information