At LETS, we believe that public projects best serve their community when they channel the creativity and wisdom of the community in the design process.
We partner with public-serving organizations – whether government, nonprofit, or community-based – and enhance their community engagement strategies.
Through our work, we aim to nurture a sense of collective ownership and agency in the communities where we operate. We aim to make meaningful participation in civic processes a habit and incite a civic culture wherever we work. Through this, we hope to see measurable improvements in community wellbeing and social equity.
A Community-Centered Approach
Participatory, community-centered approaches to planning are proven to be highly effective and critical to community wellbeing and equity. At LETS, we aim to shift the power dynamic of traditional community development and promote meaningful participation and ownership.
Shifting Power
We operate with and through existing social & cultural institutions already within the communities we engage, communities which ultimately own the process and outcomes of our work.
Collaborative Innovation
At LETS, we aim to shift this power dynamic centering co-creation and collaborative community decision making, enhancing the quality and efficacy of public-serving projects.
Place-based Operations
As a place-based practice working primarily with partners in the Bay Area / Ohlone land, our approach fosters long-term relationships built at the speed of trust.
Where can community-driven processes be helpful?
Policy & Program Design
Such as in housing, labor, and public health.
Urban Design & Placemaking
Helping communities envision for how their neighborhoods could meet their needs
Democratic Processes
Such as citizens’ assemblies or participatory budgeting
We can adapt to the needs of any situation, whether stewarding a project from start to finish or jumping in at a specific moment.
How exactly can LETS help you?
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Nothing beats gathering people to solve a problem. LETS facilitates in-person and hybrid workshops (like those used IDEO, Google, and innovative organizations) to gather perspectives and generate new ideas. We intend to move beyond the traditional “public meeting” and design engagements that nurture relationships and make community members feel genuinely empowered.
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The team at LETS comes from years of experience in both technology and community organizing. We use the latest tools to maximize reach, gather feedback, and identify areas of consensus within a broad and diverse populace.
We’re also interested in designing new tools to enhance public engagement practices – ask us more if interested. -
We’re committed to being a thought partner from start to finish. We’ll work with you to determine a community engagement strategy that genuinely puts power in the hands of the people, and paves a path to a brighter future.
