BRIDGEPORT WATERFRONT PLANNING DIY (Do-It-Yourself ) Meeting Kit

GET INVOLVED!

BLACK ROCK

WEST SIDE/WEST END

SOUTH END

DOWNTOWN

EAST SIDE

EAST END

Date:

DIY Meeting Contents:

What is a DIY Meeting?

About this Planning Effort:

CivicMoxie has designed this DIY (Do-It-Yourself ) Meeting Kit as a tool to gather community input to revitalize Bridgeport’s waterfront. DIY meetings are great way to share and receive information from a wide range of people and also gain feedback on ideas for the waterfront’s future. In this kit, we provide meeting materials, step-by-step tips on how to lead your own meeting, and instruc-tions on returning this kit so we can get your responses back. Anyone in Bridgeport can use the DIY Meeting Kit--all you need is this kit, a place to meet, and at least 5 other people! If you return all your materials (with at least 6 people on the sign-in list), you’ll get a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card!

Bridgeport has 24 miles of coastline. That’s a lot of waterfront!

What could the future bring? How can the City of Bridgeport plan and act to create a vibrant, accessible waterfront that offers recreation, housing, and jobs? What can we do now to plan for that future, and what simple steps can we take to see change sooner rather than later?

These are three key questions of the comprehensive Waterfront Plan. The Planning Department of the City of Bridgeport’s Office of Planning and Economic Development selected CivicMoxie*, a Boston-based urban planning team that focuses on moving from thinking to doing, to lead the planning project along with a host of local professionals, including Groundwork Bridgeport’s very own Green Team.

* We are a mix of Northeast and local professionals including AMS Consulting, Weston and Sampson, Groundwork Bridgeport, and others.

1. Getting Started 2. Meeting Materials 3. Maps for Discussion4. Return Instructions

GETTING STARTED

1 - GETTING STARTED

INVITE

FIND A LOCATION

REMIND

PREPARE

LEAD

RETURN

It’s a good idea to hold the meeting in a neutral location, like a library or community center, but a church or living room can work too! The meeting location should be easily accessible and big enough for everyone to be comfortable. If you have to reserve the space (like in a library), you should also ask how many chairs and tables there are and how long you can use the space.

Send out invitations by mail or email, or call or text people (ideally a week in advance). You can invite your neighbors, friends, co-workers, classmates, members of your local organization, or anyone you think would be interested in participating. In the invitation, be sure to provide a name and number someone can call if they need more information (see the sample invitation at right)--and don’t forget the time and location!

Kindly remind everyone you invited to the meeting 3 days before and again the day before the meeting is supposed to take place. You should probably text or call (or use Facebook) to remind people. This will increase the chance that you’ll get good attendance at the meeting.

Look through this whole kit and familiarize yourself with the day-of checklist, handout questions, and maps; visit www.courbanize.com/waterfrontBPT if you want to learn more about the Waterfront Plan and see others’ ideas for the waterfront. If you wish, plan an agenda and have copies available for everyone who attends. When you set up for the meeting, make sure you have enough seats, pens, and paper. Having a few simple refreshments and name tags for folks is a nice but optional touch. Don’t forget to put out the sign-in sheet included in this kit.

As the meeting leader it is your job to help keep the meeting on topic, write down answers to the handout questions as well as important notes (or get a volunteer “scribe” to do that!), and make sure everyone has a chance to speak. (Remember, you are a participant as well, and you can share your own opinions!) Try to keep the meeting enjoyable and relaxed for everyone, creating a comfortable atmosphere for discussion; one way to do that is to spend some time at the beginning where participants introduce themselves and explain why they are interested in Bridgeport’s waterfront revitalization. Also, since people’s time is valuable to them, it’s good to make sure the meeting starts and ends on time.

Collect all the meeting materials, including the sign-in sheet and any meeting notes, at the end of the meeting. The information from the meeting is very important to shaping the plan for Bridgeport’s waterfront and building consensus for revitalization, so we don’t want to miss any of it! Please place all of the collected materials back in the envelope and take the envelope to your local post office or box. Postage is already paid!

1 - GETTING STARTED

Sample Invitation

YOU’RE INVITED!

WHAT: Bridgeport Waterfront Planning DIY Meeting

WHEN:

WHERE:

HOSTED BY:

Please RSVP to host by calling/emailing/texting at:

By: ___ / ___ / 2016

CivicMoxie has provided DIY Meeting Kits so folks can get together at times and places convenient to them to discuss ideas and offer feedback. Join me at this DIY meeting to enjoy some good company, and share your stories, thoughts, and ideas for the Bridgeport Waterfront Plan! We need YOU to be part of this process to revitalize the water’s edge. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Did you know Bridgeport has 24 miles of water-front? How can the City of Bridgeport create a beautiful waterfront where residents can work, play, and live? The City is working on a comprehensive plan for the entire water’s edge, and hired a firm called CivicMoxie to help identify future waterfront opportunities.

For more information: Contact Dean Mack (Planner at the City of Bridgeport OPED, Planning Department) Dean.Mack@bridgeportct.gov 203-576-7086

Visit: www.courbanize.com/waterfrontBPT (More info on the project is here!)

You can use the invite below by filling it out, making copies, and giving it to people, or by copying the text into an email.

1 - GETTING STARTED

Day of the Meeting: Double-Check

Review

One Hour Before the Meeting:

Remember:

Arrive

Relax

Call the location hosting the meeting to double-check that everything is all set to go. Make sure that the room or doors will not be locked or closed. Check who has RSVP’ed and see if you’ll need more chairs, refreshments, etc.

Look over the handout questions and maps, and practice what you plan to say (especially to welcome meeting participants).

Check room set-up and move around chairs and tables as needed. Set up refreshments if you (or the location hosting the meeting) are providing any. If the room is hard to find, you may want to tape a couple of simple signs with arrows directing meeting participants to the right place from the main door.

Don’t worry--you’re ready! Take a few minutes by yourself--and a few deep breaths--before the meeting. Collect your thoughts and focus on what you are going to be saying and doing.

You are the leader of the meeting, it is your responsibility to keep people and the conversation (mostly) on track! Suggested times are included on questions.Stay organized. Meetings can move quickly; you should either take some notes or ask one meeting participant to act as a “scribe” recording the main highlights of the group’s discussion and drawing/writing on the maps. Show your support for the Bridgeport waterfront. People will be able to tell your feelings towards the plan by the way your present yourself and the attitude you bring. You may want to start the meeting by telling why you’re personally excited about revitalizing Bridgeport’s waterfront!

MEETING MATERIALS

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Sign in Sheet

DATE:____________________ MEETING LOCATION:___________________Discussion Questions:Opportunity Sites

1. What kinds of activities or uses would you like to see at the six opportunity sites on the map? Write your ideas (neatly, please) below--or on the map! [10 Minutes]

2. How—and where—would you connect these waterfront opportunity sites to the neighborhoods? Write your idas below--or on the map! [10 Minutes]

DATE:____________________ MEETING LOCATION:___________________

4. How would you make the waterfront pathway feel safe for everyone? [10 Minutes]

Discussion Questions:Waterfront Pathway

3. Who do you think could help create a continuous waterfront pathway? Who should be involved? (Write names of people, organizations, businesses, etc. below) [10 Minutes]

5. What kinds of public activities or events would you like to see on the water itself? Who could help organize or run them? [10-15 Minutes]

6. What kinds of public activities or events would you like to see on the water itself? Who could help organize or run them? [5 Minutes]

Other Notes:

DATE:____________________ MEETING LOCATION:___________________Discussion Questions:Activation Sites

MAPS FOR

DISCUSSION

This DIY Meeting Packet contains 3 maps which have been split into two. Please print out all maps and paste together each to its respective half. We encourage you to write, draw, or take notes on them as you go through the handoutdiscussion questions! (Don’t forget to mail them back with the other materials.)

Maps included:

1. Opportunity Sites2. Waterfront Pathway

3. Activation Sites

3 - Maps for Discussion

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Opportunity Sites Map 1 of 2

Opportunity Sites Map 2 of 2

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Waterfront Pathway Map 1 of 2

South End

West Side/West End

Black Rock

Waterfront Pathway Map 2 of 2

East End

Downtown

East Side

Activation Sites Map 1 of 2

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Activation Sites Map 2 of 2

4 - Return Instructions

Return To:

Thank You!

Please put all completed maps + materials in an envelope, seal, and mail back to the address below:

CivicMoxie1 Holden Street #218Brookline, MA 02445

Mail-back package should include: 1 Meeting Sign in Sheet

3 Pages of Discussion Questions3 Maps

Use the meeting as a chance to connect with others in your community, and invite at least 5 friends or neighbors to join you! If you return a sign-in list with 6 people on it (along with all of the meeting materials), we’ll send

you a $25 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card to enjoy.