Spectrum of Public Participation#
The City of Fort Collins follows a model for understanding decision making by our representative government and our community that was developed by the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2).
The mission of IAP2 is to promote and advance public participation and community engagement.
The IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation helps the City and the community to understand and define the public's role in any public engagement process. This Spectrum is quickly becoming an international standard.
Here is that spectrum. Columns on the left offer the public less impact on the decision. Columns on the right offer the public more impact on the decision.
| Inform | Consult | Involve | Collaborate | Empower | |
| Public Participation Goal | To provide the public with balanced and objective information to assist them in understanding the problem, alternatives, opportunities and/or solutions. | To obtain public feedback on analysis, alternatives and/or decisions. | To work directly with the public throughout the process to ensure that public concerns and aspirations are consistently understood and considered. | To partner with the public in each aspect of the decision including the development of alternatives and the identification of the preferred solution. | To place final decision making in the hands of the public. |
| Promise to the Public | We will keep you informed. | We will keep you informed, listen to and acknowledge concerns and aspirations, and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision. | We will work with you to ensure that your concerns and aspirations are directly reflected in the alternatives developed and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision. | We will look to you for advice and innovation in formulating solutions and incorporate your advice and recommendations into the decisions to the maximum extent possible. | We will implement what you decide. |
Examples of decisions at each level#
In Planning and Development Services, we engage the public in different ways regarding different decisions. Here are a few examples of decisions and methods:
Inform: We inform the public when a land owner or someone who would like to purchase a parcel asks us for feedback on a development idea. These meetings are called Conceptual Design Review meetings. We keep the public informed via our website and in our This Week in Development Review newsletter.
Consult: We consult with the public at Neighborhood Meetings, which are required of applicants for larger-scale or larger-impact development projects. Neighbors within about a 2 block radius of this type of project are mailed invitations to attend the Neighborhood Meeting. Neighborhood Meetings are also posted on our website and in our This Week in Development Review newsletter.
Involve: We collaborate with the public in most long-range planning projects. These include creating neighborhood plans, sub-area plans, and corridor plans that imagine the future of an area over the coming decades.
Public engagement for City Plan included a community visioning exercise where the City worked with the public to develop and confirm a shared community vision for the future of Fort Collins. Later that year, staff discussed several possible scenarios for the future and how the community vision could be achieved with the public. Staff prepared and revised a draft plan based on community input. Finally, City Plan was presented to City Council for consideration of adoption. This effort resulted in more than 6,000 hours of involvement by the public.
Collaborate: We collaborated with the public in developing our newest zone district, the Manufactured Housing Zone District. We heard from community members who wanted a new zone district that could protect manufactured housing communities. A team of City staff and community members worked together to develop the rules for the district and to think through the implications of those rules. You can find information about the Manufactured Housing Zone District in Article 4 of the Land Use Code.
Empower: The Planning and Zoning Commission is made up of 7 residents of Fort Collins. These volunteers are empowered to make the final decision on large-impact development projects.
Looking for more ways to get involved?#
Find public involvement opportunities related to Planning and Development.
Visit the City of Fort Collins Communications and Public Involvement page for more opportunities.
Learn more about our approach#
Community members are an extension of our efforts and should take part as collaborative problem solvers.