SPARKING CONVERSATION WITH A COUNTYWIDE CAMPAIGN
As the Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability sought to increase the availability of electric vehicle (EV) chargers across the County, MUSE designed and led an outreach campaign prioritizing historically under-resourced suburban municipalities. MUSE’s work included developing jargon-free messaging and hosting pop-up events, public meetings, and focus groups as opportunities to talk with local stakeholders about their preferences around mobility, equity, and access related to EV charging stations.
DETAILS
Client: Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability, subconsultant to HNTB
Suburban Cook County, IL
December 2022 – August 2023
SCOPE OF WORK
graphic design
bilingual engagement
survey design + analysis
LINKS
MUSE METHOD
In-person engagement activities met people where they were. From a catalytic converter tagging event at a tire shop to a job fair hosted by a community college, our engagement strategy was proactive and connected to local resources.
Our community engagement efforts doubled as a public education strategy to introduce an emergent technology to communities where it had low adoption rates. Furthermore, our team presented to industry peers about the project at the 2023 American Planning Association – Illinois Chapter conference.
The aim of this study was to identify identify appropriate sites for public EV chargers in communities where there was a lack of existing demand for such infrastructure. Understanding that the lack of infrastructure can be enough reason for residents to deem an EV as an unreasonable purchase, this project aims to prepare communities proactively for an electric future.
One engagement activity included a “look under the hood” of an electric vehicle, allowing attendees to learn more about how EVs work, how maintenance differs from traditional cars, and other aspects to EV ownership. Engagement events were also opportunities for the County to share information about tax credits offered for different EV purchases.
The project team leveraged a network of community partner organizations that shared social media content promoting the project and engagement opportunities. To identify locations where EV chargers would be useful, project messaging focused on places where people spend time. With the tagline “Go where you want, charge where you are,” the campaign encouraged residents to imagine how charging might fit into their daily and weekly routines in their community.
