SOLUTIONS Case Studies
City of Atlanta - Enhancing Community Participation in the 21st Century by Engaging Citizens Online
Over the past several years, Atlanta has experienced rapid population growth. According to the Bureau of Planning, the city’s population has increased by 22 percent since 1990 and increased by 16 percent since 2000.
In addition to gathering citizen feedback, the Bureau of Planning also faced the task of developing the city’s Comprehensive Plan and started by attempting to organize and write a document that is over 500 pages long and uses multiple collaborators all working on the project at the same time.
Before Limehouse, city planners were using multiple software programs to create the plan and then emailing different versions back and forth between each team member. Multiple versions of multiple files meant that many hours were wasted trying to keep everyone organized and on the same page.
It wasn’t just organization that was an issue. Project collaborators often struggled with formatting. Without being able to see the document in PDF format, city planners encountered printing difficulties. Documents from different files and software versions would have to be reformatted when printing the final copy. In the end, the final version lacked a professional finish and was unappealing to read.
The Limehouse Solution
Limehouse Software has revolutionized the process of creating the Comprehensive Plan for Atlanta and gathering feedback from citizens and stakeholders. Various key features that attribute to the improved processes include:- Version control of the current file in progress, instead of juggling documents and wondering which file is the latest.
- Quick updating of changes to a file, with fast publishing to the online portal, keeping everyone up-to-date.
- Easier and consistent formatting, giving the document a professional look, quickly and easily.
- Improved readability with better graphics and a HTML format, which enables searches for keywords to find sections of the large document faster.
- Faster conversion to allow uploading to a Web site, or conversion to a print-ready PDF.
- Uploading to an online environment means citizens can participate in the planning process and give feedback on various plans.
- Complete accessibility to all community members. All that is required to view the plan is Internet access and a Web browser.
“Before using the Limehouse collaborative software we were working on a number of different files for each document and formatting became a real issue,” said Jessica Lavandier principal urban planner at the city of Atlanta Bureau of Planning. “Every time someone made edits the layout would change, but with Limehouse we don’t have that problem anymore which saves us a great deal of time.”
The multiple file problem that project collaborators had to endure has been solved thanks to Limehouse’s customizable, shared workspace. The intuitive workflow enables team members to split the document into manageable parts and work together on one file. They can set timelines and assign sections to particular writers, making it easier to keep track of who is working in what area. Once a section is complete, it can be reviewed and then marked as approved by the project manager, ready to be uploaded online when the document is completed.
The other benefit was improved aesthetics – the documents began to simply look more professional with the new software.
“Better looking reports mean that the document is easier to read and that more people are likely to look through the plan and give feedback,” said Lavandier.
Limehouse Software also trained employees to use the software and offers a comprehensive support program:
“When I have a problem, I just call the support desk and they walk me through the solution in a matter of minutes. If I need additional assistance, Limehouse staff can even remotely take over my computer and show me how to do it. We do not waste productivity on software issues,” said Lavandier.
Effective Online Citizen Engagement
The online plan, an HTML document, is now more readily available to more people. The hassles and troubles that went along with previous iterations of the plan in PDF format including having to install another program to read the PDF, or the document not displaying properly, are removed.
The software also includes provisions to remind citizens of town hall meetings and updates them on meeting times and locations. It is conveniently located on the web portal and is easily accessible within this online environment along with the Comprehensive Plan.
As citizens and stakeholders grow more accustomed to using an online environment to check on the latest plan or find out where the next meeting will be held, they can also take advantage of the feedback comment section of Limehouse Software. Users can comment on sections of the plan and participate in online polls and community surveys.
If a member of a certain community wants to comment only on issues in a particular area they can use the software to navigate to the appropriate section of the document. In a simple, easy-to-use interface, comments can be placed just on the very section of the document that matters.
“The process is simple to use and that gets people excited and more likely to comment. Their feedback will ultimately help us create better plans and better communities,” said Lavandier.
The Future with Limehouse
The City of Atlanta Bureau of Planning has found the Limehouse Softwareto be so successful that it plans to use the Limehouse suite of products for future planning documents. The city anticipates widening the use of the software for all kinds of documents in the future that require public feedback, including:
- Subdivision Regulation
- Zoning Ordinance
- Economic Development Plan
Planners also want to take advantage of some additional features in the Limehouse software program that they have not previously used, such as:
- Online Polls
- Community Surveys
- Integrating with GIS (mapping technology)
No matter how fast or large the city of Atlanta grows, city planners are working hard to ensure that the community is actively involved in the planning process. The city of Atlanta is at the forefront of bringing citizen engagement to the 21st century and is using Limehouse Software to take it there.