Community outreach is about reaching out and connecting with people to discuss change – such as proposals for a new land use or development project – before it happens. Discussing change isn’t always easy, so the Applicant Outreach toolkit was created to support applicants proposing rezoning or development.

Experience has shown that the earlier in the process you consider and exercise your outreach options, the more likely it will be to contribute to successful outcomes. Outreach can help reduce conflict and eliminate surprises as potential risks or concerns can be identified sooner. For background, visit Community Outreach on Planning & Development​

As an applicant, your role connected to outreach on applications is as the LEAD. As the lead, you determine if/when community outreach will take place connected to your project and, if so, decide about what, with who, where, how, etc. This page provides you with a step-by-step process to consider as you contemplate your outreach options. For more details about all of the roles and responsibilities connected to planning, please visit outreach roles and responsibilities.

When community outreach is being considered, there are a few key things to think through and kept in mind. Detailed information associated to key considerations and associated key steps can be found below. Alternatively, a high-level overview of key steps and considerations can be found in the community outreach 101 and checklist.

For more detail and associated tools and resources check out each of the steps below.

There can be many reasons why you may want to involve the community and conduct outreach when contemplating a new development project. When assessing whether you want to conduct outreach, think about the following:

1. Do you need to involve the community in your project?
   • Is the community impacted by the outcomes of your project?
   • Is your development proposal a significant change for the community?
   • Is there an expectation for outreach with the community on your project (by the community or the Ward Councillor?)
   • Is there a need to build relationships with the community and your neighbours as your project advances?
   • Are you proposing a change to the community’s local area plan?
2. Are there any known community issues about your development proposal or past development projects of a similar nature?
   • What is the political sensitivity of this project?
   • How inclined are community members to accept this project based on past area experience?
   • Do you anticipate there will be a level of disagreement between interested parties?
3. Are there decisions that will be open for input from interested parties?
   • Is input needed from the community to ensure decisions made reflect the community's needs?
4. Is there a need to inform the community of the details of your project?
   • Are there unique or complex factors about your development proposal that should be shared with the community?
   • Is the community familiar with this type of development?

Your answers to the above will help you better assess your outreach approach. When it comes to outreach led by applicants there are no mandated requirements, but The City encourages applicants to be a good neighbor and inform the community of your project but is ultimately up to you on whether you want to conduct outreach with the community and what that will look like. The City’s general recommended minimum approach is for applicants to complete our outreach assessment tool which helps applicants assess and consider the potential impact of their proposal within the context of the community they are working in and provides guidance on high-level outreach considerations. In addition to completing the outreach assessment tool, The City recommends connecting with the surrounding neighbours, community association or relevant member-based organizations and area Councillor early in the process to discuss their development ideas.

If you decide to pursue an outreach process proceed to step two: developing your outreach strategy. Also depending on where you are in your project stage, The City is available to provide you specific advice on outreach and this can be through the pre-application process or by contacting your file manager.

If you decide outreach is not appropriate for your project, please prepare a rationale for why you chose not to pursue outreach and complete the outreach summary to submit to The City along with your application.

A community outreach strategy should outline a well-defined approach to how the community and interested parties will be involved. As the proponent for your development project, The City encourages you to determine the level of outreach you will undertake and the specific approach – including the format and tactics that work best for your project, your interested parties and your outreach objectives. As a best practice, we suggest that you consider the local context of the community you are working in and choose the outreach tactics that most appropriate for the community and your project. This means that when responding to the needs and context of a particular community that outreach strategies can take shape in many different ways. However, they should at least consider the following steps, when determining your outreach program.

When preparing your outreach strategy, consider what information you need to share to help inform and educate interested parties as they participate in your process?

The City has created a number of City information resources and handouts that you are welcome to use through your outreach program. These resources can contribute to better storytelling about planning and development in Calgary and can be helpful in setting the stage for the redevelopment conversation by sharing The City’s planning goals and policy objectives.

As you endeavour to create content for your outreach program, ensure that you provide clear, plain language and complete information. We suggest that you avoid using too much technical jargon. Our plain language guide language library can help inform what you share.

Lastly, as you are considering what content to share we suggest you keep the following in mind. While the success of your project from a sales and branding perspective is ultimately important to you, we encourage that you approach your outreach efforts from a more objective lens and ensure you are sharing unbiased fact-based information about your project with the public. This is essential from a trust-building standpoint and can contribute to the success of your project in the long-term.

Now that you have outlined the majority of your outreach strategy, you need to consider how you are going to raise awareness and get people involved! The success of your outreach program is dependent upon people being aware of its existence and there are a variety of communication channels for you to consider using, some of which have already been outlined in step two.

The City has created a set of standard templates that we encourage you to use when promoting your outreach opportunities. These postcard and poster templates are optional but they aim to create a level of consistency with the public and through constant use will build awareness for applicant-led outreach.

By this point, you have successfully developed your outreach strategy and have made people aware of your project and outreach opportunities. It’s now time to connect with interested parties.

When connecting with interested parties sometimes difficult conversations can occur. This guide provides you with some tips to keep in mind when dealing with emotion and outrage and how to diffuse tense situations.

One of the most important steps of any good outreach program is closing the loop and reporting back on the input received. You can do this by creating a report that you share with participants. This report should provide an overview of your outreach process, a summary of comments received and a response to how you have considered the comments and ideas raised.

By closing the loop and reporting back to interested parties, you are ensuring that all known issues have been considered and addressed and are not hashed out on the floor of council or committee.

This City has created a resource to provide you with guidance on how to report and respond to input.

When submitting your completed application to The City, please include a summary of your outreach program by completing the applicant outreach summary (below). This summary can be updated during teh application review process if additinal outreach is completed.