A severe housing shortage is affecting the town (among other Canadian communities), with an anticipated shortfall of housing to meet population growth over the next 20 years.
One of the primary difficulties preventing increased housing supply in Stratford is the public's lack of support for development projects that are not single-family, detached homes. Gaining enough support from these community members and decision-makers then allows for reduced zoning barriers that prevent new higher-density developments from being implemented within existing residential areas.
This requires a shift in certain residents' perspectives—sentiments of NIMBYism (Not In My Backyard). Recognizing that a portion of the community will be unwilling to change their mindsets, the project's objective was ultimately to deconstruct the stigma around higher density and diversified housing to help move public perception toward seeing the value and benefits it brings to communities.
The project spanned 18 months, and it needed to target several different audiences throughout its duration. The key audience that was both the greatest challenge and most impactful to resonate with was established homeowners.
A public education campaign was created to engage and educate community members and decision-makers about the value of densification. The campaign extended to applications such as social media, in-person sessions, webinars, surveys, print and digital media, radio, programmatic marketing, an online platform, educational modules, and interactive modelling tools and games.
To increase the likelihood that the messaging would resonate with its intended audiences, it was positioned as something of value and benefit.
The project, officially called "Overcoming Zoning Challenges in Land Use Planning," underwent naming exercises, resulting in the chosen name of "Shape Stratford."
I provided all creative direction, branding and graphic design (including website design) for the entire project. I created a custom logo design and brand identity that aimed to encompass notions such as forward-thinking, progress, community, ambition, growth and building. The new logo also required cohesion with the Town of Stratford’s to ensure harmonious alignment across different applications when paired alongside the Town's branding.
An online platform was designed and developed that supported the entire public education campaign. The platform consists of visualization and interactive modelling tools, an engagement centre, planning eLearning courses, a data centre, and more. The platform was designed to be flexible, to potentially replicate or adapt its approach in other municipalities for national impact and to enhance community.
Several advertising campaigns were produced to promote awareness and communicate the project’s key messaging to its targeted audiences. We also provided a wide range of marketing
collateral that included but was not limited to social media, direct mail, infographics, PowerPoint presentations, brochures, and newsletters.
The project facilitated community conversations required for a common understanding of the variety of housing needed, the barriers to meeting that need and solutions that can be implemented to ensure housing that is safe and affordable for residents.
The Town of Stratford in Prince Edward Island, Canada, received $1.1 million in funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to participate in the Housing Supply Challenge. This project aimed to find innovative solutions to barriers around new housing supply.
