Ypsilanti Township leadership asked for a community-based process to update the community’s Master Plan in 2018 and 2019.

A variety of community engagement techniques were used to reach hundreds of Township residents resulting in over a thousand interactions:

Steering Committee:

A steering committee of ten individuals representing neighborhoods and institutions from across the Township helped to design community engagement activities, such as multi-day workshops.

Project Website and Social Media:

A website, as well as MailChimp, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts were created for online participation, up to date information and invitations to events.

Survey:

A statistically valid survey was conducted early in the process. Over 500 Township residents and business owners responded to the survey both online and through mail. The information helped CWA to analyze changes since the previous Master Plan and visualize the current state of the Township.

Multi-Day Workshops:

Two multi-day workshops were hosted, with over two hundred participants overall.  The first workshop offered a variety of tours, public meetings, a “happy hour” and an open studio.  Six themes emerged from the workshop that became the goals of the Master Plan. The second workshop centered on an open studio and concluded with a pancake breakfast, where community members voted on strategies to be included in the Master Plan.