Community Voices in the Digital Era: Amplified or Muted?

Join Just Communities Executive Director Tsedey Betru with Kaitlin Cernak and Victoria Barrett of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and David Wilts of Digital Masterplanning for a conversation that connects transportation planning, community engagement, and equitable development through a shared lens: who participates, who is heard, and how decisions are made.

Overview

Community participation shapes more than public meetings.

It influences how transportation systems are designed. It informs planning decisions. It affects how development projects take shape and whose priorities are reflected in the process.

As more of these conversations move online, organizations across sectors are asking similar questions.

What You Will Learn

How do we reach more people without sacrificing meaningful engagement?
How do we ensure digital participation reflects the experiences of those most impacted by decisions?
And how can technology support more equitable outcomes rather than simply digitizing existing processes?

About the Speakers

David Wilts- Founder, Digital Masterplanning Director of Development, Woodlawn Central

Victoria Barrett-Program Lead, Safe Systems

Kaitlin Cernak-Program Lead, Content Strategy and Development