Digital and Networking Strategies for Community Planners

This project builds on a model of mobilization in combination with network theories for developing communication and media strategies. Communication and information sharing goals will change depending on the stage of communication, thus, a strategic approach considers the information goal and characteristics of the channel to optimize efficient and effective communication for awareness, consensus building and mobilization. The goal is to leverage ICTs in such a way to increase public awareness, engage the public and sustain projects through community participation. This project was supported by the MSU’s Center for Regional Economic Innovation (REI) with a $10,000 research grant to conduct a case study analysis and design a toolkit that can be replicated for broader application.