What does meaningful community engagement actually look like in 2025?
A transatlantic dialogue on April 11th, 2025, featured speakers Eyal Feder-Levy, CEO of Zencity and Benjy Meyer, Managing Director of Commonplace (recently acquired by Zencity). The session united thought leaders from the US and UK to answer the question: What does meaningful community engagement actually look like in 2025?
1. Trust is Earned Through Consistent, Visible Impact
Zencity CEO Eyal Feder-Levy reminded us that trust isn’t won by asking for feedback once. It’s earned by meeting expectations over time – and by showing your community that their voices influence real decisions. For example, in Los Angeles, Zencity’s survey capabilities help track resident perception of public safety monthly, replacing outdated metrics that surveyed residents yearly.
2. Traditional Engagement Isn’t Enough – Go Where Your Community Already Is
Both speakers acknowledged that traditional engagement tools like town halls or static surveys tend to attract the “same ten people.”
Benjy Meyer (Commonplace): “Historically, we’ve relied on town hall meetings with cucumber sandwiches and cups of tea—but that’s no longer enough. We need to move beyond tick-box exercises and start telling compelling stories that invite participation.”
Eyal Feder-Levy (Zencity): “We need to meet people where they are—and today, that’s online. Whether they’re playing Candy Crush or checking Premier League scores, they’re engaging digitally. That’s where we need to listen.”
Today’s engagement must be:
Inclusive
Hear from more voices that better represent the diverse makeup of your community.
- Online Sentiment Analysis (Zencity Organic): Captures conversations happening across Facebook, Reddit, Nextdoor, and X to reflect voices that don’t show up in traditional forums
- Targeted Survey Ads (Zencity Community Surveys): Reaches underrepresented demographics through language-based device targeting and behavior-based ad placements
- Commonplace Survey Storytelling: Uses engaging narratives and visuals to increase accessibility and drive participation from broader audiences
Timely
Collect and report on insights when you need them most.
- Real-Time Sentiment Tracking: Detects sudden changes in public perception—like during a misinformation crisis or public safety incident
- In-the-Moment Experience Surveys: Collects service-specific feedback via text or email immediately after a resident interacts with a city service
- Rapid Launch Digital Consultations: Enables quick deployment of policy or planning consultations on urgent issues like budget, housing, or transport
Actionable
Make better decisions with surfaced insights, based on reliable data.
- AI-Powered Analysis (Zencity + Commonplace): Distills qualitative and quantitative data into clear themes and sentiment trends, helping cities prioritize and respond
- Integrated Dashboards: Combine all engagement inputs—surveys, social, platform data—into one unified system for decision-makers
- Use Case Tracking: From reshaping public art strategies in Sugar Land, TX to influencing housing consultations in Haringey, UK—actionable insights are already driving results
3. You Can’t Improve What You Don’t Measure
Whether it’s public sentiment around housing policy or live feedback on policing, measuring community experience isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s a must.
Today, councils use platforms like Zencity and Commonplace to track sentiment in real time, analyze trends across demographics, and directly inform decisions.
Case in point:
- In Illinois, a small town used Zencity’s survey capabilities to prioritize federal funding based on what mattered most to underserved residents—and adjusted its budget accordingly.
- In Haringey, Commonplace helped gather community feedback across 26 housing estates, capturing everything from current service satisfaction to post-occupancy sentiment.
Other examples from the webinar:
- Sugar Land, TX used AI-analyzed survey data to shift their public art strategy and saw improved resident satisfaction
- Oak Ridge, TN used sentiment tracking to combat misinformation after a public safety incident
- The City of Leeds collected feedback from 1,700+ residents to shape their budget planning – with 66% public support for a tax increase
4. The Value of Integrated Insights
By combining Zencity’s advanced analytics with Commonplace’s proven engagement platform, local governments can achieve a 360° view of community sentiment and needs – not just anecdotes, but measurable impact.
In Philadelphia, Zencity helped the city reframe its COVID vaccine campaign after social sentiment flagged the initial messaging as a “bribe.” Adjusting the narrative led to better public response—and better health outcomes.
Together, Zencity and Commonplace enable:
- Stronger storytelling and transparency
- Smarter, community-driven budget and policy decisions
- More trust and buy-in from your residents
Watch the Full Webinar On-Demand
Want to dive deeper into the tools, use cases, and strategies shared by our panel? Watch the full webinar here!
