If out of sight is truly out of mind, it’s hard to find something that’s usually less on the mind of Seattle residents than the Elliott Bay Seawall. But in this case, what you don’t know could hurt you, so when the City of Seattle began outreach on replacing the aging structure, EI came on board to build a creative outreach strategy that would reach a stakeholder base as wide as, well, the fish in the sea. (Or in this case, bay.)
Seattle’s waterfront isn’t just a beautiful place to visit; it’s also the hub of a thriving tourist- and maritime-based economy. EI worked with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) on communications, planning, design, and public outreach for the project, implementing a creative plan that included waterfront business owners, tour operators, ferry riders, the Port of Seattle, manufacturers, transit operators, bicyclists, and residents throughout the region.
We’ve attended fairs and festivals, community meetings, and other events across the city to educate folks about the project and to get feedback from the broader community. Deploying a fleet of iPads to gather public comments, EnviroIssues captured the data using a system that tracks trends and patterns in public feedback.
Now that construction is underway, our team is still on the ground – keeping everyone whose livelihoods, commutes, and weekend plans depend on access to the waterfront have the latest information about what’s happening today and what’s coming tomorrow.