HOW WE DO IT

Community Engagement. We embrace community participation in all our projects and empower the end users to help develop the final product. For example, team trail designers and consultants led a robust community engagement program at Golden Gate National Parks that resulted in the Bayview-Presidio Park Shuttle program, transporting residents of a historically underserved San Francisco neighborhood to their national parks. The Red Bridge Team has worked with clients to develop community engagement plans from coast to coast: from the trails at Point Reyes National Seashore to the park prescription programs of Prescribe Outside in Philadelphia.

Communication. We believe effective communication makes our goals achievable, whether internally or with the greater public. All team members consider professional, timely communication to be critical to success. In communicating publicly, the team uses a broad range of innovative techniques, from strategically conceived and well-designed signage and printed materials, to electronic media and online content, to “Art in the Parks” installations and happenings. Through these means, we are adept at telling park stories and reaching diverse and underserved communities.

Welcoming All Visitors. We are committed to creating places that are accessible and relevant to all audiences, including those communities who have felt excluded from a park experience. For example, at the Crissy Field Center we engaged youth from underserved communities to become a new generation of park leaders. We are also committed to honoring diverse legacies through our interpretive programs, as we did partnering with members of native communities to bring histories to life at Crissy Field, the Presidio, Lands End and Boston Harbor Islands.

Partnerships & Constituency Building. Red Bridge is actively involved with public and private partnership groups that support parks, natural areas, historic sites, regional trail systems, greenway networks and river corridors. We believe that partnerships and constituency building across communities and cultures is an essential part of the planning process. An example from our current portfolio is The Aquatic Park and Pier Project, which attracts and builds on partnerships with neighboring nonprofit groups including the Fort Mason Center for Arts + Culture.

Collaboration. Red Bridge’s commitment to collaborative processes begins with our model for strategically structured interdisciplinary teams. We understand that the right people must be at the table—from visioning to planning, design and execution. This approach broadens to public planning and outreach; collaboration among agency leaders, their partners, local governments, interest groups, and community members leads to results that are durable and supported by all. Red Bridge team members employ a collaborative approach in all projects and, when appropriate, makes targeted use of communication channels to include all constituents and enable decisions based on a common body of knowledge.

Getting Things Done. We are creative, innovative and analytical. We value agility, resilience and adaptability and we strive to respond as the needs of places and communities shift in today’s complex world. Our team members and contributors have worked for or with the National Park Service, the Trust for Public Land, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, State Parks and nonprofit partners throughout the country. We have lifetimes of knowledge in planning, design, engagement and communications for land conservation and public land use in natural and culturally sensitive areas. We are experienced in working with community-led projects in a diverse range of settings, from rural to highly urban.