Volume 11 | January 5, 2018
Targeted Outreach to River Road and Santa Clara Communities
There has been an amazing amount of public involvement during the first phase of this neighborhood planning process and we have been publishing the results of our outreach in stages. This week we are publishing our third set of reports, the results of outreach to groups that for various reasons might not have been represented at the community event in October. The results of this additional outreach have been added to the large pool of community feedback we have collected. This means the Community Vision will reflect the wide range of voices in the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods.
Inclusive Outreach
To involve youth, low-income residents, people with disabilities, and communities of color, we forged relationships with key community partners who have earned the trust and respect of community members with consistent service. Working in collaboration with organizations such as Saint Vincent De Paul, Food for Lane County, and multicultural outreach specialists at the school districts, we involved people who do not attend public meetings. The summary report for this outreach is available below in both English and Spanish. For more information, there is a detailed list of the outreach events available to download here .
Another way that fresh voices and perspectives were brought into was through the "ASK" photo essay. The photos and direct quotes depict how residents feel and what they think about the issues they face each day. The complete photo essay can be viewed on the What have we heard? page of the project website.
Business Canvassing
Regardless of whether business owners and employees reside in the neighborhood, they have a stake in the outcome of the neighborhood planning processes. However, they are often tied to their work place and may not be able to attend evening meetings. With this in mind, the project team made a concerted effort to go to the businesses.

Neighborhood volunteers and City and County staff visited businesses throughout both neighborhoods to conduct interviews, distribute information, and encourage business owners and employees to get involved! This canvassing produced information on the business climate, as well as a chance for participants to share their personal concerns and hopes for their neighborhoods. See page 3 in the Outreach Report below for a summary of the feedback provided by the business community!
Rural Santa Clara Outreach
The Santa Clara Community Organization includes rural residents who live beyond the urban growth boundary (UGB). Members of this community are unlikely to participate in broader neighborhood workshops that are not tailored to their unique geographic location. To reach this part of the community, a workshop was hosted by the City of Eugene, Lane County, and the River Road and Santa Clara Community Organizations. Attendees had the opportunity to participate in the same activities as those who came to the large community event in October: a mapping exercise to identify what they value about the area, and a ‘My Idea’ activity that asked participants to share their future hopes for the neighborhood.
Interactive Web Map Updated
We received a wealth of information from our targeted outreach events, and now have over 650 comments in our web map! This interactive web map is a compilation of all the place-specific comments we received over the course of this 'reaching out' phase.

The River Road and Santa Clara Community Organizations, in collaboration with neighbors, businesses, the City of Eugene and Lane County, are creating a vision that will guide decision-making in River Road and Santa Clara for decades to come.