Comprehensive public involvement that engages all communities in a project area is the ultimate goal of transportation planners and agencies. Often, however, broad outreach must be accompanied by more targeted strategies to reach specific constituencies. Depending on the nature of the project, it can sometimes be useful to segment stakeholders into groups that share a common interest—such as environmental, business, transportation, or labor organizations. By meeting with groups individually, project leaders can focus on issues that most concern that particular group. This targeted approach can be an effective strategy for identifying and resolving issues and moving closer to consensus. For more on outreach strategies, click here for an InGroup Whitepaper on Public Involvement in Transportation.
