In response to an editorial written in The Chronicle Journal, “Let’s make this work,” perhaps the City of Thunder Bay can engage the public for the upcoming Multipurpose Event Centre, and other future projects, by using social media. We know social media works in Thunder Bay, evident by the overnight success of the recent My Home Town video on YouTube. And the Thunder Bay Police has had great success with its KidsNCops.ca website, where children can interact directly with police officers. It is time the city took advantage of this technology and started a conversation with its citizens.
In April 2009, the City of Winnipeg created SpeakUpWinnipeg.com to engage its residents while it created a new 25-year development plan. Residents can share pictures, videos, words and ideas through the site, and more importantly, the city would respond to every issue brought up on the site. Social media can create this two way conversation between the city and its residents. Through this process Winnipeg will have a 25 year plan its residents helped to create, a plan that belongs to them.
Other cities have taken advantage of social media by allowing citizens to take pictures of pot holes, graffiti, and other maintenance concerns with their cell phones, which they can then send directly to the maintenance department. The city would respond by dispatching a crew to investigate the matter. The crew would then send back a picture of the work they had done to address the matter. This method of engaging citizens would be more effective than writing a letter to the editor complaining about flooded roads, and would make them feel heard by their city.
Focus groups and open houses are helpful, but their reach is limited. For example, in the recent decision to decide on a location for the temporary bus terminal, it seemed as though the student voice–at least in the media–was largely ignored. Students are one of the major users of public transportation, and could provide valuable insight into the location of the terminal. They are also the generation who has grown up digital, and understands social media very well. If the city were to engage them, it could foster their ‘home town’ pride.
The city has experimented with social media in the past, through the website myTBay.ca, but has failed to engage residents. The site was largely a tool to collect promotional videos to be used for tourism, but contained no place for dialog or conversation. Any video or photo submitted to the site seemed to be buried in a hidden archive, not accessible to the public. What we need is a place that engages us to share our thoughts about where our city should go, responds to our concerns, and creates a two way conversation.
I would feel engaged if the city made a simple YouTube video explaining and showing possible locations for a bus terminal, a multipurpose event centre, or a waterfront condo, and then asked me to respond by making my own video explaining where it should go, or where it should not, and other dreams I might have about the project. And I would love to tell the city what issues and concerns are important to me, such as how to engage our community.
Update: Here is the letter on the Chronicle Journal’s website.
Image courtesy of MSGV, licensed under Creative Commons
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