See also participation
Definition – Community engagement is the process of working collaboratively with community groups to address issues that impact the well-being of those groups. This involves the identification of stakeholder groups and the incorporation of their concerns, needs and values at appropriate points in the planning process. A range of participation approaches can be adopted to foster this engagement (for examples see participation).
Relevance to SUMP – When preparing a SUMP, public authorities should develop a plan for stakeholder and community involvement that should include an overall strategy for public relations (PR) activities (including media involvement). This plan should strive to achieve pro-active engagement, including interactive involvement of the community.
Source: FT Lexicon (online)