MPO Public Education Strategies and Methods: Peer Examples

Prepared for the December 14, 2022, Advisory Council Meeting

Denver MPO (DRCOG) Civic Academy

· 7-week course on regional issues, including transportation, economic vitality, housing, and civic engagement

o Each course has weekly 3-hour evening sessions

o Sessions feature lectures from local subject experts, small-group interactions, and networking opportunities

o During course, participants develop individual action plans for involvement in planning after course completion

Washington DC MPO (MWCOG) Community Leadership Institute

· Workshop series for community leaders to get involved in transportation planning and decision-making

o Program has 3 workshops total

o During workshops, participants review case studies, participate in interactive group activities, and learn how transportation decisions are made

o Course material includes information about planning processes and decision-makers, and intersections between transportation, land use, jobs, housing, and forecasted growth

Sacramento MPO (SACOG) Initiatives:

Civic Lab

· Funding program for regional teams (municipal partnerships) to design and launch pilot projects that address local challenges with regional implications

o Teams receive support from SACOG and hold monthly workshops to identify issues and design small-scale pilot projects, then partner with private sector stakeholders on implementation

o Longer-term goal of using lessons learned from pilot projects to scale up at the regional level

o Each year program focuses on a different theme, i.e., smart mobility or commercial corridors

§ Year 1 (mobility) resulted in 8 teams piloting 10 projects around the region, with over $3M distributed, and a spin-off mobility accelerator program created for future projects (see below)

Innovative Mobility Accelerator

· Spin-off program from Civic Lab Year 1 mobility pilot projects to scale up innovations and lessons learned through a new round of projects focused on innovative mobility solutions to transportation challenges

Youth Leadership Academy

· 5-month course for high school students to gain knowledge and skills for civic engagement and leadership

o Hybrid program with biweekly Saturday sessions; cohorts of 40 students

o Curriculum focused on increasing understanding of local government and planning processes, racial and social justice issues in planning, intersecting systems and impacts, and effective ways to engage

o Facilitates connections to career opportunities and networking with local leaders and advocates, and builds skills for future civic engagement and participation in planning and public sector work

o SACOG provides outreach toolkits for stakeholders to help spread the word about this program and invite students to apply