Poster Campaign Asks Dedham To Weigh In On Town’s Future

DEDHAM, MA — A colorful series of posters are popping up around Dedham, prompting residents to answer questions about their personal experiences and dreams for the future of the town.

The posters are part of Designing Dedham 2030, a plan being developed to guide improvements and economic development in Dedham for the next 10 years. The Town of Dedham is working with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) to develop the master plan using goals and ideas generated by community members.

“The poster campaign is the latest way for residents to give their input and engage with the plan,” said Sarah MacDonald, co-chair of the Master Plan Steering Committee. “We’re excited to be trying creative new ways to connect with people, and we hope this strategy will expand and diversify participation.”

The campaign was developed after an initial survey with over 1,100 responses indicated that the most common way people learn about things happening in town was from their neighbors.

“We hope the posters will create a buzz that gets people talking to each other and engaging with the planning process by taking the message to their streets and sidewalks,” said Steering Committee member Dan Hart.

Residents will see four different posters – with four different prompts – in locations across town, including parks, businesses, sidewalks and walkways. Participants can text a response to a phone number listed on the posters or scan a QR code to answer the prompts online. To use a QR code, aim the camera app on your phone at the image and your phone will prompt you to open a link.

The posters ask residents four questions: What’s your Dedham story? Where does history live in Dedham? What’s your dream for Dedham? And what does your neighbor want for Dedham?

The answers will help illustrate residents’ priorities and support the creation of a vision for the future of the town by helping planners understand how participants experience the town today.

Respondents can opt in for text message notifications or email updates to learn about future public participation opportunities and plan updates. If residents are interested in participating in Designing Dedham’s outreach working group, contact Carolina Prieto at cprieto@mapc.org.