MindMixer | Let's Talk Community Engagement

Engage Omaha

Omaha, NE

4734 Comments

887 Ideas

In April 2011, MindMixer, in partnership with The City of Omaha, launched Engage Omaha, a virtual town hall event that invited anyone interested in Omaha to submit ideas for improving the city.

The MindMixer site has been incredible for the City of Omaha and its citizens. In the first 24 hours of the site being live, we received more ideas than we had in the previous year of the Mayor’s administration. Not only has the activity been fantastic, the quality of the ideas and feedback has been great. We definitely recommend MindMixer for any city looking at innovative for public participation and feedback.

-- Nikola Jordan, Deputy Director, Mayor’s Office

Burbank2035

Burbank, CA

Visit the Project

715 Comments

168 Ideas

The City of Burbank used MindMixer technology to receive ideas about a comprehensive plan. The second iteration allowed participants to read the draft plan and offer suggestions for improvement.

Several members of the community contacted me directly to tell me that the MindMixer experience made them feel like someone was actually listening during the engagement process. In a town were public engagement has been difficult in the past, MindMixer exceeded expectations and was a wonderful way to expand our engagement efforts.

-- Tracy Steinkruger, Senior Planning, City of Burbank

KC Momentum

Kansas City, MO

Visit the Project

1739 Comments

465 Ideas

In August 2011, MindMixer, in partnership with the City of Kansas City Missouri, launched KCMOmentum.com, a virtual town hall event that invited anyone interested in Kansas City to submit ideas for improving the city. KCMOmentum.com also utilized MindMixer’s prioritization feature to garner feedback on 2012 budget items.

The initial launch of Kansas City’s MindMixer site was met with a flurry of positive ideas as resident quickly engaged in the process. The staff at MindMixer has been easy to reach and responsive to our requests.

-- Dennis Gagnon, City Communications Office

Barnstable iForum

Barnstable, MA

Visit the Project

755 Comments

282 Ideas

The Town of Barnstable dove headfirst into their engagement efforts on the MindMixer platform. Members of town staff from all departments have continued to post compelling topics ranging from the Town budget to public safety to parks and recreation. Through a diversity of topics, Barnstable has engaged hundreds of residents in a short period of time. In addition to asking interesting questions, Town staff have kept the site relevant by providing responses to ideas and comments, validating the engagement experience for citizens along the way.

We see a value not only in the ideas submitted on Barnstable iForum but also in the dialogue that has begun among iForum users.

-- Sarah Colvin, Producer/Host, Channel 18 Barnstable

Engage Denton

Denton, TX

Visit the Project

778 Comments

199 Ideas

Texas residents possess a different kind of pride in their communities and the City of Denton was no exception. City staff took on a tough question from the get-go, asking residents to weigh in on a citywide smoking ban initiative. The topic drew thousands of residents into a robust and meaningful conversation. More importantly, it proved that residents aren’t given enough credit for their ability to have thoughtful and constructive conversations around controversial topics. We can’t wait to see what Denton has in store for 2012.

Through this site, we feel we are reaching a segment of the population we would not typically hear from on city issues.

-- Kiersten Dieterle, Public Communications Manager, City of Denton

K-State Master Plan

Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS

Visit the Project

553 Comments

294 Ideas

Kansas State was the first university to take advantage of the MindMixer platform and also the first client to utilize the interactive mapping feature. By asking students, faculty, and alumni to provide an idea combined with a location on campus, the conversation becomes contextually relevant. It provides an incredible amount of insight to campus leaders about how people view different parts of campus. It also creates a sense of ownership among participants, realizing their input is going to have a tangible impact on the future of the campus.

The response has been terrific not only in terms of the number of participants but also through the thoughtful ideas generated by the campus community.

-- Kevin King, Associate Principal, Ayers Saint Gross

LA2B and MyHistoricLA

Los Angeles, CA

Visit the Project

1193 Comments

506 Ideas

The City of Los Angeles has partnered with MindMixer on two very different engagement efforts. The first asked citizens for ideas about the City’s Mobility Element of the General Plan. The second engaged citizens by asking them to identify historically significant parts of the community. Both efforts have provided incredible context in the discussion. In the mobility effort, the City employs text and call-in capabilities, allowing citizens to submit mass-transit improvement ideas using their mobile phones. The historical preservation project provides an interactive map where citizens can pinpoint locations in their communities that have architectural and cultural significance.

We’re excited to be using MindMixer to spark a new citywide conversation about places and neighborhoods that have historic meaning to Angelenos.

-- Ken Bernstein, Principal City Planner, City of Los Angeles