City of Covington Embraces Citizens

We first assembled, connected and empowered a diverse team of community stewards to guide the process and reach out to various constituencies. We held introductory events across the community to engage traditional and grass roots leaders from business, education, human services, arts, preservation, civic groups, and especially neighborhoods The public was always invited no matter the forum or target audience. The introductory events prepared people for the possibility of a city-citizen partnership where citizens are as responsible for achieving results as the City administration. Nine events later, the buzz of possibility was in the air and the community was ready to take ownership of its own future.

At the first community retreat, over 130 citizens chose from 10 topic areas to participate in small group brainstorming sessions about “what success would look like” in the areas of downtown, housing, safety, green space, neighborhood focal points, transportation, the arts, education, human services and rivers. Each successive session built on previous ideas, which generated a wealth of inspiring goals and strategies—and got people connected to each other without “negotiating” priorities.

Between retreats, the stewardship team summarized and condensed these results and presented them for further discussion and prioritization at the second community retreat. Over 110 citizens again participated small group dialogs, this time leading to a vote on the subjects that would inspire their ownership and commitment.

Before the third retreat, the stewardship team analyzed the citizen priorities and asked, “How can these goals be connected for maximum impact?” Soon, a community vision and grand strategy emerged from the chaos of ideas, inspiring stewards and City staff alike. They all could see an image of “walk-able urbanity”—a revitalized downtown, neighborhood gathering places, riverside parks and other new green spaces interconnected by alternative transportation (especially walking and biking trails)—bringing citizens out of their homes and into community spaces. And despite this grand, interconnected strategy, there was still room for citizen leadership to pursue the goals they previously identified.

At the third retreat, citizens used the grand strategy to brainstorm specific programs and initiatives that could push the vision forward. With citizens again moving group to group to cross-pollinate ideas, the meeting closed with each citizen joining an action team that would complete the planning process and lead the ongoing implementation work. These groups meet separately to design and implement action plans, and must continually ask “Who else should be involved”.

As the plan is implemented, the stewardship team will coordinate and leverage the work of individual action teams, while the Center for Great Neighborhoods will drive plans at the neighborhood level.

In the end, Covington not only has a plan, but an army of new leaders at all levels to take their community boldly into the future.