Virtual Engagement

7,000+

website visitors

Website Engagement As a companion to the project launch, we developed a comprehensive and interactive website, Newark360.org, as the public face of the plan. We used the website to inform Newarkers about the Newark360 timeline and process; survey them about their main priorities and concerns; and invite them to follow along by signing up and following the Newark360 Instagram and Facebook accounts. Community Mapping Website visitors were invited to drop pins on a collaborative map to tell us about places they love, places with challenges, and big ideas they have A housing market that is affordable and expansive Attention to economic and racial equity Attention to environmental sustainability My community and their longevity in Newark What aspects of Newark are most critical to address across the next decade?DRAFT Parks and green open about their own neighborhoods. Visitors were able spaces to see other responses and share their own sites of

Effectiveness and efficiency interest and opportunity. of transportation services Plan Elements Surveys

Community Vision Survey

In addition to some demographic information, we asked visitors to tell us about their vision for the next 10 years of Newark. We also asked them their main priorities and concerns, particularly around the subjects of Health, Equity, and Resilience. A representative question is depicted above. 84 | Community Voices Each of the 8 Plan Elements was introduced to visitors, who were invited to respond to a few questions on what they appreciate and what concerns they have around the subject. We were also able to link directly to these pages during the corresponding Facebook Live events themed after the Plan Elements, which helped inform the public on the scope of the Master Plan.

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Virtual Engagement Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person gatherings were difficult to conduct safely during the winter season. However, the City of Newark hosts a lively virtual community via their Facebook page, with Mayor Baraka giving regular end-of-day briefings to Newarkers via Facebook Live events. As such, we piggybacked on this energy by launching the plan in late fall 2021 via a Facebook Live panel discussion which introduced the project, interviewed stakeholders about their vision for Newark360 across the next ten years in the city, and invited viewers to visit the newly launched project website and participate in the engagement tools there.

We also streamed a series of weekly Facebook Live events in February 2022, in order to engage the larger public around the specific elements of the plan and understand what issues and opportunities were most pressing. The Facebook Live events were conceived as panels of authentic Newark voices around the 8 Plan Elements, held on consecutive Wednesdays. The events were advertised ahead of time via social media and the City’s newsletter, and for each event dozens of Newarkers tuned in and left comments and questions for the panelists to answer in real time via the Facebook chat function. citywide virtual meetingsDRAFT

City of Newark/Newark360 Facebook Live panel event: Transportation & Mobility (February 2022)