As Engagement Lead for the Chicago Climate Action Plan (CAP), we were tasked to identify community-informed priorities that advance environmental justice, lower household energy costs, and improve community health. Our team engaged with more than 2,000 individuals representing 70 out of 77 communities across Chicago. 

In partnership with the CAP Working Group we used UX (User Experience) principles to design an impactful and low-tech budgeting activity that allowed community members to rank the importance of potential outcomes of the Plan. We also created a digital survey and an engagement toolkit for community partners, available in five languages.

Public feedback was incorporated into the Plan through the inclusion of priorities, direct quotes, and use of common language over technical jargon where possible.