TOGETHER, WE WILL PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT + OUTREACH
STRATEGIES, EXPERIENCE, AND OUTLOOK
“Design is too important to be left to just designers.”
- R. Lowey
Troyer
Group creates enduring,
community-centered
infrastructure. Through thoughtful design, rigorous engineering, and dependable execution, we shape systems that connect people and power progress—especially where it’s needed most.
“OUR PROCESS PRIORITIZES THE PEOPLE WHO WILL USE THESE SPACES DAILY.”
We view landscape architecture as a powerful tool to build community bonds, promote well-being, and transform public spaces into shared experiences. From urban plazas and trails to healing environments and recreational facilities, we approach each project with the belief that every space has the potential to shape lives.
Our team specializes in creating spaces that encourage active living and social connection, including pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, parks, and streetscapes that integrate well with the surrounding environment. By collaborating closely with municipalities, commercial partners, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities, we design landscapes that fulfill each client’s vision while meeting the needs of the public they serve.
Whether it’s creating social hubs in bustling city centers or building serene trails and greenways, our process prioritizes the people who will use these spaces daily. With expertise in policy, municipal requirements, and community engagement, we manage each project with an eye toward regulatory needs and sustainable impact, providing enduring value that resonates with the public.
Our commitment extends beyond the initial design — we’re here to create landscapes that grow and evolve with communities, balancing beauty with functionality and adapting to future needs. Through transparent communication and meticulous planning, we bring every landscape project to life—designed to connect people, promote health, and serve as a lasting resource for the community.
TOGETHER, WE WILL IS A CORE VALUE, NOT A PROJECT PHASE.
OUR THOUGHTFUL + CULTURALLY GROUNDED APPROACH ENSURES STAKEHOLDER + COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS AN INITIATIVE THAT CONTINUES LONG AFTER PROJECT END.
ENGAGEMENT LIKE NO OTHER:
Thoughtful, Equitable, and Meaningful Engagement
Outreach and engagement reframes the dynamics of public projects, giving the communities an opportunity to shape direction and set priorities. This increases capacity for the municipality or organization as well as for the project. Public engagement allows for better quality designs, emphasizing both efficacy and efficiency, ultimately making the project more authentic to its context. To get the most out of each opportunity, we employ best practice methods for increasing the value traditional engagement models while also utilizing emerging tactics that expand the reach of these processes.
People first. We partner closely with clients and communities so that every plan is as unique as the community we’re working in and reflects the local people, first.
Our award-winning, participatory process redefines “meeting people where they are” to provide experiences that connect our projects to people’s daily lives. This means we listen carefully to the goals and priorities, understand the purpose and vision, and then find creative solutions that provide the best outcomes for our clients and those they serve.
PEOPLE | PROCESS | PURPOSE
We employ a purpose driven engagement process that successfully addresses the “what”, increases the value of the “how”, with the entire effort focused on the “why”. Our public engagement utilizes five underlining drivers to create public investment in the process, no matter the project.
Accountability: Being transparent and open about the expenditure of public dollars.
Values: Demonstrating commitment to the community as well as the showcasing the priorities of the organization, agency, or department.
Trust: Developing a two-way conversation and building a relationship based on participation and action.
Relevance: Focus on meeting the contemporary needs of the community.
Responsiveness:
Opportunities to demonstrate action based on previous commitments and priorities.
People are central to our process and through traditional workshops/presentations, both stakeholders and the public will be engaged throughout the planning process. To that end, it’s critical for stakeholders, City leaders, and the public to contribute to the process from the onset. Our methodologies for capturing and incorporating that feedback includes a synthesis of presentation and guided conversation that asks questions to prompt specific feedback about targeted strategic components. We have used a variety of digital, social, conversational, and physical communication tactics to elicit inclusive feedback from a wide pool of community stakeholders and leaders. This allows the broad expertise of the community to better inform our design expertise and ensures more ownership of the planning process as well as investment in the success of the final outcome.
At the core of our public engagement is the desire to meet people where they are. Broadly, this means diagnosing their values and needs while connecting with them in a
way that is effective for them. Knowing that not everyone can attend or feels comfortable attending traditional public meetings, we use pop-up meetings at established community events to reach the largest group of people possible. For these meetings, we prioritize low friction strategies designed to make participation as easy (and quick) as possible. One method has been using sticky dots placed on photos and maps to indicate familiarity and preference for project locations and programming items. This process has allowed for dramatically increased participation.
To build a meaningful, inclusive, and effective engagement process, our team provides a framework that supports dialogue at every level, from internal discussions to broad community conversations.
Comprehensive Engagement
To build a meaningful, inclusive, and effective engagement process, we must design a framework that supports dialogue at every level, from internal discussions to broad community conversations. We create spaces for confidential conversations with internal stakeholders, while also dedicating time for external partners, organizations, and thoughtleaders whose expertise can guide and strengthen outcomes. Our engagement process doesn’t just offer public hearings or meetings to check boxes. We frequently
utilize public open houses at varied times, over longer periods of time, and in multiple locations to ensure accessibility and to honor the diverse schedules of the communities we serve. Equally important are activities that draw out critical community expertise, elevate both loud and quiet voices, and intentionally include those who are often underrepresented. Presentations and reflective sessions allow participants to see how their input has shaped progress, while activities designed to reduce barriers to participation make engagement possible across
differences of comfort, age, ability, and availability. To support this approach, we provide endto-end outreach and engagement services. These include event design and facilitation, development of printed and digital materials, as well as social media and public relations support that help build momentum, excitement, and trust throughout the process.
Internal Stakeholder Meetings
Beyond meeting with the project advisory committee or project management team, we often work with select stakeholders within organizations and municipalities. These meetings help to:
• Facilitate confidential conversations that create safe spaces for candid input.
• Provide opportunities for staff and leadership to align priorities and surface internal insights.
• Ensure internal voices are heard and integrated into the broader engagement strategy.
External Stakeholder Involvement
Sometimes, the most informed audiences are those operating outside the organization, within the community. Whether business owners, church leaders, or engaged advocates, we make sure to:
• Dedicate time to key groups, organizations, thought-leaders, and community partners to leverage their expertise.
• Develop tailored sessions that respect stakeholder capacity while ensuring their perspectives shape outcomes.
• Build trust and long-term partnerships through transparent, reciprocal engagement.
Public Open Houses + Meetings
These engagement opportunities help to better tell the community story and understand their priorities. While it’s a critical chance to express the values of the organization, it takes time to build community trust. To help accomplish we:
• Make sure our content reflects the most current understanding of community feedback, including sythesis of all prior plans and commitments.
• Offer multiple formats and schedules (daytime, evenings, weekends) to maximize accessibility.
• Provide multiple locations across the service area to reduce barriers to participation and support the local community.
• Create welcoming environments that invite diverse participation.
Community Expertise + Input
Our processes are designed to be informative, receptive, and actually engaging for everyone who attends. Our informed, award winning process works to:
• Incorporate multiple interactive activities and feedback stations that draw out local knowledge and lived experiences.
• Ensure participation methods accommodate different levels of comfort, age, ability, and availability.
• Balance loud voices and quiet voices, intentionally engaging underrepresented groups.
Presentations + Reflection Opportunities
We are skilled at coordinating public hearings, informational meetings, and public presentations. To generate value from these engagements we offer structured opportunities for clients and community members to:
• Reflect on previous engagement outcomes and demonstrate accountability.
• Share values and aspirations.
• Demonstrate and measure progress toward goals and responsiveness to feedback.
• Showcase ideas and concepts to gather more input and assist with planning efforts.
Reduce Participation Barriers
Our team uses a spectrum of methods from drop-in sessions to digital tools to small-group discussions and intercepts to meet people where they are on their own time and in their own spaces.
• Design activities that minimize friction and lower thresholds for involvement.
• Celebrate constituent contributions, building excitement and sustained involvement from start to finish.
• Use of public spaces change over time, over the course of days or seasons, and our social intercepts seek to engage those users.
Comprehensive Engagement Support Services
We support every layer of engagement to reduce the tasks internal teams need to generate and coordinate. Our teams provide the high-level framework, but can also get into the weeds with you to make sure every aspect of the engagement process runs smoothly.
• Event development and logistics (planning, venue management, facilitation).
• Printed and digital material development (flyers, banners and event signage, posters, fact sheets, reports, visual aids, videography and photography).
• Social media post
development, scheduling, and coordination.
• Public relations support to extend outreach and amplify voices (press releases, media coordination, interview support).
“COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ENSURES THAT DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES, NEEDS, AND ASPIRATIONS ARE CONSIDERED, FOSTERING A SENSE OF INCLUSIVITY AND OWNERSHIP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHARED SPACES.”
Everyday Presence + Pop-Up Engagement
To us, “meeting people where they are” means more than just attending major events like downtown First Fridays or community festivals—it means embedding engagement into everyday community life.
We hold pop-up sessions at family picnics, community soccer leagues, and local gathering spots, making it easy for residents to participate without leaving their familiar environments.
Social intercepts allow us to
connect with people who may not feel comfortable attending traditional meetings, ensuring that engagement is inclusive of all voices.
Cultural + Mass-Event Participation
Visibility at large community gatherings—parades, street fairs, seasonal markets—ensures that engagement intersects with moments of high attendance and civic pride.
• Event-based outreach integrates with community traditions, creating natural
opportunities for dialogue and lowering barriers to participation.
• Media & Messaging Platforms
• Radio spots, podcasts, and local news features extend the reach of engagement beyond in-person attendance.
Thought Leadership + Dialogue Spaces
We certainly aren’t the only experts out there. We frequently bring outside voices to showcase “best practice” and research thought leadership.
• We’ve hosted unique, project-
specific events, like a curated speaker series, to elevate the conversation, connecting community voices with experts, artists, and thoughtleaders.
• Structured reflection sessions and presentations give clients and participants opportunities to revisit past input, measure progress, and re-affirm shared values.
• These dialogues foster both inspiration and accountability, ensuring participants see their voices reflected in the process.
Multicultural + Multilingual Outreach
Our engagement and outreach strategies are tailored to honor and reflect the cultural and historic diversity of each community. At a baseline, we offer the following:
• Multilingual materials, interpretation services for meetings, and translated surveys/websites to ensure equitable access to participation.
• Partner with cultural organizations, ethnic media outlets, and community
ambassadors to build trust and extend reach into communities that are often underrepresented.
• Design culturally resonant activities that acknowledge different traditions, communication styles, and community norms.
OUR PARKS ENRICH + EMPOWER
An Aspirational Master Plan
Creative Engagement + Design Practices
We incorporate visual, interactive, and design-forward methods that make participation engaging and accessible. All of our project activities are built to spark creativity, highlight local expertise, and reduce barriers for participants of all comfort levels. Ultimately, these collaborative practices ensure engagement is not only informative and useful, but also inspiring and memorable.
Research + Statistically Valid Data Collection
We know where the information is coming from, which helps our clients better understand the communities they serve. You’d be surprised how often this isn’t the case and how much a guess all recommendations are moving forward. We hate to guess, especially with public dollars.
• Complementing qualitative engagement, we develop and distribute statistically valid surveys (e.g., using Qualtrics) to ensure representative input.
LOVE OUR PARKS
An Aspirational Master Plan For Elkhart Parks
• Surveys are offered in multiple formats (digital vs print) to reach participants across access levels.
• Results are integrated into project reporting, providing a balanced picture that combines broad quantitative data with deep qualitative insights.
WE TAKE PLAY SERIOUS
AMPLIFY YOUR VOICE
Brand Campaign Activations
Project branding and theming create a cohesive, recognizable identity that threads across print, digital, and in-person experiences.
• Project brands offer a memorable identity that community members recognize.
• These reflect the values of the organizational or municipal brand, but would distinctly associate with the specific effort - clarifying, not diluting existing brands.
• Messaging strategies are built to amplify voices and
maintain visibility across the full duration of the project.
Digital Integration + Interactive Tools
Sometimes, meeting people in their own spaces means meeting them online. From our deep understanding of the internet’s social layers to utilizing content management platforms that can serve as project repositories, our team responds to every digital project need.
• Project websites act as central hubs for updates, resources, and feedback
PLAYEXPANDAMPLIFY
opportunities.
• GIS mapping tools allow participants to interact with project data, visualize impacts, and provide geographically specific input.
• Social media campaigns sustain momentum and invite ongoing contributions from those unable to attend events.
Our innovative and highly engaging approach to engagement includes unique activities, materials, and approaches for each community or organization.
Together...
We will create lasting, positive impacts for our communities, our clients, and our team members through our exceptional services, our innovative projects, and our service-oriented mindset. That’s our vision. We hope to achieve that by putting people first, being curiosity driven, by being purposefully personal, being dependable, down-to-earth, and ultimately, with the intent that we all thrive together.
People
First
We don’t just design for communities—we design with them. Understanding the human impact behind the build informs everything we do.
Curiosity Driven
We ask ‘what if?’ before ‘how fast?’ — because innovation thrives when there’s room for exploration.
Purposefully
Personal
We treat your project like it’s our own—because trust is earned through dedication and craft.
Dependable
Clear communication, careful planning, and built-in contingencies—so surprises don’t derail success.
Down-to-Earth
We show up as experts, but stay approachable. We know the best work comes from honest collaboration.
Thriving Together
We build teams that grow with your goals, supporting a network of progress beyond the technical.