INSPIRING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACROSS CHICAGO
For two years, MUSE has led the planning and production of the City of Chicago’s annual City Civics Day, a daylong event that celebrates community connection and engagement. With a schedule of workshops, panel discussions, and keynote addresses, the event aims to inspire Chicagoans to take part in civic life. An outgrowth of Chicago’s first citywide planning effort in more than 50 years, City Civics Day represents an important step toward implementing a key goal of the plan: build more robust and effective civic infrastructure.
DETAILS
Client: Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) and Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)
Chicago, IL
2023, 2024
SCOPE OF WORK
Event planning
Community + stakeholder engagement
Stipend administration
MUSE METHOD
Workshops and panel discussions featured community leaders and City staff, illustrating how residents can work with the City to advance projects in their neighborhoods. For many residents, it can feel like community engagement comes after many decisions about a project or initiative have already been made. At City Civics Day, engagement happens for engagement’s sake, helping Chicagoans understand how they can proactively work with the City to bring their ideas to life.
Civic engagement can come in many forms and with different levels of interaction. For the second annual City Civics Day, the event included additional opportunities for attendees to connect. An intentional use of interactive art installations, thought-provoking questions on white boards, and movement breaks offered new ways for attendees to connect with the content and each other.
The City Civics Day team was committed to meaningful inclusion, demonstrated in a hospitality-first approach to attendee experience. Accommodations included ADA accessibility to and throughout the venue, real-time captioning for all sessions, live Spanish and American Sign Language interpretation for keynote sessions, and refreshments and meals that considered a range of dietary needs.
BY THE NUMBERS
BADGES OF HONOR
Civic engagement is something to be proud of. New in 2024, MUSE’s designers created a custom button for each session, encouraging attendees to rep what they learned. This collectible flair served as conversation starters among attendees to learn about sessions they did not attend.
Civic engagement is something to be proud of. New in 2024, MUSE’s designers created a custom button for each session, encouraging attendees to rep what they learned. This collectible flair served as conversation starters among attendees to learn about sessions they did not attend.
INSPIRED AND READY FOR ACTION
City Civics Day is an opportunity for collaboration and community connection that continues beyond the event doors. For the second annual City Civics Day, MUSE developed a resource center for each session designed to catch attendees on their way out of a session. Inspired and ready to act, attendees could find opportunities to get involved, city resources, and a comfortable conversation area to speak with speakers and fellow attendees.
View Online Boards
City Civics Day is an opportunity for collaboration and community connection that continues beyond the event doors. For the second annual City Civics Day, MUSE developed a resource center for each session designed to catch attendees on their way out of a session. Inspired and ready to act, attendees could find opportunities to get involved, city resources, and a comfortable conversation area to speak with speakers and fellow attendees.
CHANGE STARTS LOCALLY
The first annual City Civics Day came fewer than four months after the inauguration of a new mayor and a dozen new alderpersons, along with newly remapped ward boundaries, City Civics Day included an interactive “Find Your Ward” installation that included a large map and contact cards for all 50 ward offices.
The first annual City Civics Day came fewer than four months after the inauguration of a new mayor and a dozen new alderpersons, along with newly remapped ward boundaries, City Civics Day included an interactive “Find Your Ward” installation that included a large map and contact cards for all 50 ward offices.
A NEW TAKE ON NOTETAKING
MUSE partnered with Ink Factory Studio to creatively capture the spirit, emotion, and highlights of panel discussions in 2D. Visual notes were created during sessions and displayed in the hallway for attendees to view as session summaries.
MUSE partnered with Ink Factory Studio to creatively capture the spirit, emotion, and highlights of panel discussions in 2D. Visual notes were created during sessions and displayed in the hallway for attendees to view as session summaries.
Community Response
Here’s what we heard from 2023 and 2024 attendees.
My favorite part of the event was seeing other civic-minded individuals coming together to learn about the ways we could make a difference as an individual, and as a community, beyond our neighborhood. –2023 attendee
The panelists and moderators asked insightful questions and offered thoughtful answers that encouraged me to explore the topics further. I also appreciated learning about the many resources ” mentioned, which were new and valuable. –2024 attendee
I left feeling as though I spent a day in community and received information that I can use for future projects. –2024 attendee
[my favorite part of the event was] seeing the many local community organization speak as well as small business owners and community members bringing input into how city civics should be done and improved such as voting, community violence organizing, and small business support. –2024 attendee
