Virtual Meetings
Focus Groups
Understanding that many residents are unable to attend a community meeting, PARD developed a series of virtual meetings that lined up with each round of open houses. Using the City of Austin’s SpeakUp Austin! tool, city staff created an online meeting mirroring the format of the open houses that allowed residents to provide feedback at their convenience.
As part of the outreach, six focus groups were held to engage groups of people in guided discussions about topics that might otherwise be underrepresented in community input. The specific groups engaged were selected based on input from PARD, the CEAC (at its first meeting), and through the public engagement plan. Focus groups included: off-leash dog park advocates, active older adults /
seniors who use parks regularly and those who do not, groups working with underrepresented youth, accessibility advocates, and Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired / Texas School for the Deaf. Once confirmed, each group (ranging from 6-7 people per group) gathered for a 90-minute conversation where participants introduced themselves and worked through a series of questions that looked to identify the key opportunities and barriers related to the central topic of that focus group.
Stakeholder Interviews In addition, the project team conducted stakeholder group interviews as part of each round of engagement. Groups included both city and non-city staff and were organized around topic areas, e.g., maintenance and operations, community partnerships, recreation, programs, mobility and trails, and community health and wellness.
Planning Summit 1
30 Our parks, our future.