Strategic Management  provides tips for effective engagement on climate protection and sustainability in all sectors, and within local government itself.

To advance green neighborhoods, several approaches and tools work especially well.  Local governments incorporating these into engagement programs have had success in making policy and regulatory changes that support green neighborhoods:

• Early Input: Have early discussions with people who already live or work in the area. Project planners need to understand their needs and concerns, and use these meetings to help community members understand how they might benefit.

• Integrated design: Use charrettes as a tool for getting residents and stakeholders to work together and come up with the best solutions.

• Visualizing: Take advantage of visual techniques that help participants understand the relationship between performance (toward agreed goals) and appearance of a neighborhood.