Justin Auciello: The New Wave Planner

Meshing Hyperlocal News and Community Planning: “Just Cover It”

Here are some terms that probably resonate pretty well in the mind of the average person:

• Hyperlocal
• New Media
• Media democratization
• Self-publishers
• Aggregated content

Merely a few years ago, these terms were non-existent. Now, they’re inescapable, and to some, irritating. If you are passionate about the power of the new media, the constantly evolving opportunities that are emerging in reporting and publishing on a seemingly daily basis, and the ultimate society altering abilities of this ongoing media democratization, then irritated people just, well, irritate you.

You can’t ignore new media. It’s all around you. People are publishing around you. They’re creating around you. And, it’s not just for them; it’s for everyone.

Jack Dorsey, a Twitter co-founder, famously tweeted this message in February 2007: “One could change the world with one hundred and forty characters.” Very simple, yet quite profound. Immensely powerful. It’s democracy in action. The new media patchwork has changed us.

Twitter is, in essence, a hyperlocal tool. There are countless third-party applications that allow you to track updates from your neighborhood. The power is with you. Along the same lines, with traditional advertising sources like your local newspaper and the phone book (remember that?) dead or quickly dying, hyperlocal publications have sprouted through the cracks of your web browser over the past few years. They have been disrupting the traditional channel of distribution, the newspaper, at an alarming rate.

Why?

Because there’s a market for it—we want local news, we want it now, and we’re not going to pay for it—and with a market comes the elusive advertising dollar. It’s a business model that works and is constantly adapting. You don’t have to be a news junkie to have an insatiable demand for information on crime in your neighborhood, battles at your local town council, or the new bar that just opened up down the block. With the power now resting with individual publishers (like you), independent hyperlocal outlets, and yes, hyperlocal sites that are owned by media conglomerates (yet which are still covering the car accident on your street), news comes in all shapes and forms. (Regardless, it’s still local news, and that is what essentially matters.)

Again, we want local news, and we want it now.

On this blog, I’ve covered innovative urban planning practices, emerging technologies, and tools that are reshaping our daily lives and communities, but what I haven’t discussed is why it is now absolutely critical that the new media embrace community planning issues.

To wit: here are some terms that probably do not resonate pretty well in the mind of the average person:

• Density
• Sprawl
• Zoning
• Land use
• Master Planning

Ms. Smith down the block has surely heard of these terms and may have a cursory understanding of them, but does she really understand them? Does she need to understand them? Does she really care? Should she care?

It’s up for Ms. Smith to determine what to make of these standard planning terms. That’s not the media’s job. However, what is the media’s job is to report the news fairly and accurately so Ms. Smith can understand the issues, potentially develop an interest in changes in her community, and if she’s so inclined, take a stand.

In a nutshell, the relatively nascent new media has spawned a culture of self-creators and a brave new world of hyperlocal publications and news aggregation sites, resulting in a flood of highly localized information that is up-to-date. This is not just a theory, it’s reality, and it’s not going anywhere.

If my thesis is correct, local governments please listen up. Your community is going to change, and it’s going to change rapidly. The people are empowered. They’re listening to what their neighbors are saying on Twitter, writing about issues of local concern on their blog platforms, and reading hyperlocal sites—yes, some of which are not there for benevolence, but rather for the monetary benefits (which is perfectly fine, because if the publication is accurate, fair, comprehensive, and reputable in covering stories, it should deserve to make a buck). And, as an urban planner and someone who is interested in how technology impacts us at the margin, the new media is changing how I examine and understand communities.

Unfortunately, through my various search queries throughout the new media landscape, planning news does not normally take top shelf. Perhaps the terms density, sprawl, zoning, land use, and master planning are not sexy. That may be true. Sex (i.e. scandals, violence, and weather events) sells, and the third hearing on a master plan update just does not rise to that level. But again, it’s the media’s job to inform Ms. Smith. It’s not that she may not care about these issues, it’s because she’s not hearing about them.

Time to pay attention, publishers, and report on community planning stories. All community planning stories—not just the fascinating topical pieces, like the controversy brewing over the mixed-use project that is proposed on the edge of the downtown. Believe me, people do care; planning decisions impact their quality of life, their children’s schools, their roadways, and their overall levels of municipal services. Report on that seemingly mundane and wonky zoning debate. Go to the hearing, shoot footage, conduct interviews with stakeholders—just paint the picture and inform the public.

Yes, people do care, and they’re listening. Make them aware! Even if they’re not familiar with the planning terms above, all of the terms impact them, whether they know it or not, on a daily basis. Be innovative, cover the issues, and I promise that page hits will rise. With page hits, comes more revenue. Go for it. Expand that bottom line.

For self-publishers, I recommend doing the same. You’ll build your brand. In fact, you don’t even have to operate your own Twitter or blog platform. If you’re in New York City, you can see what’s happening in your neighborhood and likewise create and report your own content on the innovative Neighborhoodr, which is, according to the site, “a reader generated New York City blog network where anyone can quickly and easily post about what’s happening in their neighborhood.” Curious about where that odd noise is coming from? Check your nabe on Neighborhoodr, and the answer may be there. Again, the power is in your hands, and ultimately, it’s all linked to planning.

Ultimately, the overarching challenge that I propose herein is to mesh hyperlocal and community planning. Can it be done? Yes. The infrastructure is there. Both old and new media report on municipal planning issues, albeit nominally and usually on a simplistic level.

Today, journalism is beyond just copy in newspapers and magazines. It’s now a full multimedia endeavor. Make the stories come alive. People want a stake in shaping the future of their communities. Urban planning matters, and it deserves a voice.

Just cover it.

Related posts on The New Wave Planner:

Wake up, Local Government, and Supercharge Your (Weak) Web Presence

Once again, San Francisco’s City is Conducting the Innovation Train