case study
Fourth Plain for All
Community-led engagement. Equitable outcomes.
Client
City of Vancouver
Services
Public Involvement Planning
Communications Strategy
Survey Development
Direct Outreach
Community Facilitation
Relationship Building
Graphic Design
Visual Storytelling
Social Media
Overview
The City of Vancouver partnered with PointNorth to ensure more than $ 25 million in neighborhood investments reflected the voices of the people who know Fourth Plain best.
Through multilingual outreach, trusted partnerships, and inclusive engagement, we helped create a plan shaped by the community it serves.
1,850
Residents Engaged
1,300+
Survey Responses
4
Languages Supported
28
Community Events
The Challenge
Listening beyond the usual voices.
Major public investments have the greatest impact when they're shaped by the people who live, work, and do business in the community. For Fourth Plain Boulevard, the City of Vancouver wanted an engagement process that reached residents who are often underrepresented in traditional public planning.
Language barriers, limited trust in government, and the lasting effects of the pandemic meant a different approach was needed—one built on relationships, accessibility, and meaningful participation.
Our Approach
Build Trust
We partnered with trusted community leaders and organizations to connect with residents through familiar faces and existing relationships.
Make Participation Accessible
We developed multilingual, culturally relevant outreach materials and engagement opportunities that reduced barriers to participation.
Create Meaningful Conversations
From community events to surveys and listening sessions, every engagement activity was designed to ensure residents could share their experiences and help shape future investment priorities.
Results
Community voices shaped the plan
Our engagement strategy helped ensure that neighborhood priorities were reflected throughout the planning process
Engaged historically underserved communities through inclusive outreach
Expanded participation with multilingual communications
Built stronger relationships between residents and project partners
Identified community priorities that informed investment recommendations
Project plan unanimously approved by Vancouver City Council in November 2023
Services
Strategy
Public Involvement Planning
Communications Strategy
Survey Development
Community Engagement
Direct Outreach
Community Facilitation
Relationship Building
Creative
Graphic Design
Visual Storytelling
Social Media
The whole PointNorth team are incredibly professional and have strong connections to the communities in which they work that speaks to the integrity they bring and trust they have built over time. This allows them to effectively and deeply engage with the community which has been integral to the success of our project that was dependent on equitably engaging the community to co-develop an investment strategy.
Shannon Williams, City of Vancouver
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