South Baltimore Gateway Partnership | Baltimore City, MD
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The Westport & Smith Cove Waterfront Parks project is a transformative waterfront investment in South Baltimore. This project reconnects the Westport community to the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River while creating accessible, resilient, and community-driven open space. As part of the broader Reimagine Middle Branch initiative, the project supports improved access to over 11 miles of shoreline and supports long-term environmental restoration, recreation, and neighborhood connectivity.
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Designed and led a comprehensive community engagement strategy tailored specifically to Westport residents.
Facilitated interactive community and stakeholder meetings at 30%, 60%, and 90% design to gather input on park design and priorities.
Met directly with residents at events such as Coffee Chat and Back-to-School Bookbag Giveaway with Westport Elementary to collect feedback on park designs and promote the project.
Translated technical design concepts into accessible, community-friendly materials and visuals.
Coordinated with project partners, agencies, and community organizations to align messaging and outreach with project goals.
Supported planning and execution of milestone events, including community activations and waterfront experiences.
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Assedo Consulting developed a strategic outreach plan to maximize engagement and open communication to ensure the project reflected the voices, needs, and lived experiences of Westport residents and stakeholders. Unique engagement opportunities allowed residents to visualize the future of their waterfront through interactive experiential activations, a digital Story Map, and a curated boat tour. The experiential activations connected people directly to the project. The online Story Map included Westport’s history and community engagement efforts that shaped the 30% and 60% designs. The boat tours showed an in-water view of the site, which reconnected nearby communities to their local waterfront.