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Department of the Environment summarizes community workshops for its 2016'020 strategic plan
Summary
Department staff presented findings from seven community workshops held in different neighborhoods and languages. Common themes included a desire for a healthy environment, better outreach, equitable access to renewable energy and transportation, and barriers such as awareness, time and language.
Department staff presented an interim synthesis of seven community workshops conducted to inform the Department of the Environment's 2016'020 strategic plan.
Anthony Valdez (Commission Secretary) explained the workshop design: sessions targeted 'non-usual-suspects' groups, ran with 15 to 20 participants each, included a 10-minute primer and used staff facilitators and designated note-takers to ensure consistent data collection. "Each workshop had an average of 20 participants," Valdez said, and the workshops were offered in multiple languages and tailored by audience.
Doug Scribe, engagement coordinator, described the two core activities used at every session: an individual worksheet to surface environmental values followed by small-group discussion and a larger group share-out. "Our objectives were to listen more than we speak and to prompt meaningful dialogue," Scribe said.
Asia Meshach, senior strategist for outreach and communications, summarized top themes extracted from the worksheet and notes. The dominant value across groups was "a healthy environment," she said, characterizing it as concern for clean air and water, access to green spaces, safety, equity and waste reduction. Participants also recommended improved outreach and access to renewable-energy programs, transportation solutions (including fare and service equity), and regional collaboration with other agencies and the private sector. Staff reported that awareness of programs was a top barrier to participation, along with time constraints, transportation access and language barriers.
Staff said they have coded and tabulated qualitative and quantitative inputs and plan to present recommended edits to the strategic plan to the Commission and Mayor's office in early 2018. Commissioners thanked staff for targeting diverse audiences and requested individual workshop reports and a deeper, commissioner-level data briefing.
What happens next: staff will finish analysis, produce individual workshop reports plus a citywide snapshot, and return with recommended plan updates early next year.
