Community Conversations

The City of Manassas retained RHI to spearhead a community engagement effort, coined Community Conversations, to help the City better understand the priorities of the community and inform short- and long-term planning efforts. RHI’s work on the project received an Old Dominion Innovative Approaches Award from the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association.

Throughout 2019, the Community Conversations gave citizens the opportunity to shape the future of Manassas by sharing their perspectives and providing input on key topics such as quality of life, services, transportation, land use, and economic development. Discussion meetings were held on a regular basis at locations out in the community, and focused on ensuring participation by a wide range of demographic groups. The findings which were then summarized in a report and presented to City Council. The City intends to utilize these findings in their upcoming comprehensive planning and other processes moving forward.