Placemaking

• Technical assistance to transform public spaces into vibrant and welcoming environments
• Strategy development to activate spaces with a focus on accessibility, community context and local economic support
• Design and revitalization of new and existing public spaces through urban planning expertise
• Integration of creative community input into planning and design processes

POET Staff

Awards

Project Highlights

Vibrant Places Program – North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) 

Innovations in Public Engagement – North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) 

POET researches and executes creative approaches to public outreach and engagement to encourage greater public participation in the NJTPA’s planning projects. Through this project, POET continuously investigates best practices and new avenues for reaching people in the NJTPA region. From broad, region-wide initiatives to targeted efforts in specific communities, POET has helped bring thousands of people to the table, including kids and teens, older adults, ESL communities, LGBTQ+ communities, and more.  

Project Examples: Sammy the Squirrel and On Air Studio, Set the Table

Community Planning Workshop Program – New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) 

POET designs, develops, and conducts community planning workshops across the NYMTC region. The team provides technical planning assistance to local municipalities and produces recommendations for improvements, while also facilitating thoughtful public outreach strategies and meaningful discussions among local officials, residents, and stakeholders on topics related to NYMTC’s Regional Transportation Plan, Moving Forward. The workshops help communities connect regional transportation priorities with local needs and opportunities. 

Project Examples: Pehlam Report, Cold Spring

The Zero Emission Incentive Program (NJ ZIP) – New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA)  

POET has partnered with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) to provide comprehensive technical assistance related to zero-emission vehicle conversion. The goal of NJ ZIP is to incentivize New Jersey businesses and institutions to adopt zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (ZE MHDVs), especially those operating in overburdened communities. The team develops and delivers tools, a live “help desk,” factsheets, webinars, and more to help businesses and institutions understand available programs and navigate the transition to zero-emission vehicles.  

Learn More Here

tImproving Virtual Public Involvement in Transportation Agencies – National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) 08-142 

POET worked to research and develop a manual for state departments of transportation (DOTs), metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), rural planning organizations (RPOs), and other transportation agencies that can benefit from the development of structured, research-based guidance on how to choose and employ virtual public involvement (VPI) tools effectively, efficiently, and perhaps most importantly, equitably. The research team conducted a blend of desktop research and quantitative and qualitative methods, including surveys, interviews, user experience testing, and focus groups, to identify best practices for VPI across varied planning and project development contexts.  

Download the Guidebook and Read Our Blog Post

Pathways to Effective, Inclusive, and Equitable Virtual Public Engagement for Public Transportation – Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) J-11 Task 41 

POET contributed to research examining current and emerging best practices for transit agencies conducting virtual public engagement, with a particular focus on reaching and engaging vulnerable and historically underserved communities. POET’s work included conducting research with subject-matter experts across the country, creating a research report, and developing a webinar to share the research findings with practitioners. 

View The Final Report 

Customer Satisfaction Research – New Jersey Transit  

The POET team worked with NJ TRANSIT to examine best practices for transit agencies conducting customer satisfaction surveys. The research combined extensive peer benchmarking with transit agencies across the United States, interviews with subject matter experts, and original user testing of the NJ TRANSIT Customer Satisfaction Survey. The resulting findings and recommendations provide practical insights for improving survey design, administration, and the overall customer experience and are applicable to transit agencies conducting customer satisfaction surveys and related research. 

Final Report

Climate Change-Related Hazard Vulnerability Assessments – New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and Bloustein’s Environmental Analysis & Communications Group   

With support from NJDEP’s Resilient NJ Municipal Assistance Program, POET worked with several NJ municipalities to develop locally specific Climate Change-Related Hazard Vulnerability Assessments (CCRHVAs). The team assisted local governments in identifying and assessing climate hazards, vulnerable infrastructure, key community assets, and at-risk populations. These reports laid the groundwork for strategies to reduce risk and build long-term resilience and contribute to the development of statewide CCRHVA guidance by providing examples and documenting the process, challenges, and emerging best practices. 

Learn More Here

Atlantic County Coastal Region Resilience and Adaptation Action Plan Outreach and Engagement – New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) 

POET led engagement to vulnerable population groups for the Resilient NJ – Atlantic County Coastal Region Resiliency Action Plan.  This engagement work included the planning and execution of virtual “Community Conversations” co-hosted with nonprofit and community-based organizations to discuss the needs, priorities and vision of these traditionally underrepresented groups in the regional.   The team also conducted a second round of “Community Conversations” in 2022 to present resiliency scenarios to these populations and collect feedback on potential actions and strategies to undertake.  In addition, POET provided facilitation support and translation at open houses and virtual public workshops. 

Middlesex County’s Destination 2040 Strategic Plan Public and Stakeholder Engagement – Middlesex County NJ Government  

POET provided the government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, with support for overall public involvement and stakeholder engagement for the Destination 2040 Strategic Plan. POET developed a public involvement plan that included a variety of engagement strategies, such as face-to-face outreach, meeting-in-a-box, and online engagement.  Through this partnership, Middlesex County committed to conducting extensive outreach to gather feedback from those who live and work in the county to inform the Strategic Plan’s priorities. POET also provided technical assistance and support by training county staff and facilitating and supporting stakeholder meetings.  

View Project Website

Together North Jersey Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement – North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) 

POET coordinated both stakeholder and public engagement for the Together North Jersey Regional Plan (2015), supporting a large-scale regional planning process designed to incorporate perspectives from communities and stakeholders across North Jersey. POET’s work included managing Steering, Executive, and Standing Committees comprising approximately 300 members; planning and facilitating 15 regional workshops; coordinating 20 pop-up kiosk events; supporting online engagement through NJ.com; organizing three major conferences; and facilitating multiple working group meetings. Together, these activities created numerous opportunities for stakeholders and members of the public to help shape the regional plan.  

Learn More Here and Explore Our Projects

Contact Us

For more information, please contact us at:

Phone: 848.932.2876 or 848.932.2376

Email: poet [at] ejb.rutgers.edu