Leveraging Online Platforms to Illuminate Intersection Ignites a Call for Change

Project Summary

In the heart of Kansas City, Missouri, KCUR’s Celisa Calacal and Savannah Hawley-Bates embarked on a community engagement initiative to narrow down which of the city's intersections were the most dangerous. The station used the online forum Reddit to amplify resident voices as they identified problematic intersections. KCUR hoped the project would catalyze a movement for safer streets and foster a more engaged audience.  

Objective

The primary objective of this project was to get input from Kansas City residents about the worst city intersections in order to bring attention to the urgent need for changes in urban planning and to prioritize safety for all road users.

The Challenge

Kansas City's confusing and dangerous intersections have long been a source of frustration for residents. The challenge was to break through the noise of multiple platforms and hundreds of online comments from residents to gather authentic, diverse perspectives. Navigating the complexities of online engagement, especially on a platform like Reddit, presented the station with the challenge of sifting through myriad opinions to distill valuable insights.

The Solution

To tackle the challenge, the radio station initiated a Reddit thread inviting residents to share their experiences and opinions on the city's intersections. This online engagement provided an accessible platform for community members to voice their concerns, leading to the identification of over 40 problematic locations and a more focused storyline for their coverage. 

The Takeaways

1. Community-Driven Insights: Reddit served as a valuable tool for collecting real-time, unfiltered feedback from a diverse range of residents. The platform facilitated open conversations, allowing participants to share their personal experiences and frustrations with specific intersections.

2. Identification of Hotspots: The thread not only confirmed the widely known issues at intersections like Westport Road and Southwest Trafficway but also highlighted other hotspots, providing a comprehensive view of the transportation challenges faced by the entire community.

3. Validation of Concerns: By aggregating community sentiments, the station validated the shared frustration and concerns about the city's intersections. This validation was crucial in building a case for change and garnering support for advocacy efforts.

4. Fueling Advocacy and Action: Armed with the insights gathered from the Reddit initiative, the radio station played a pivotal role in amplifying community voices to advocate for safer streets. The data collected informed subsequent engagement efforts, including public surveys and discussions with city officials.

5. Online Platforms as Catalysts for Change: The success of the Reddit engagement showcased the potential of online platforms as catalysts for community-driven initiatives. The station demonstrated that leveraging digital spaces can be an effective strategy for engaging a broad and diverse audience.

By tapping into the collective knowledge of residents through Reddit, the radio station not only uncovered the city's intersection challenges but also sparked a movement for change, proving that digital platforms can be instrumental in shaping the future of urban planning. With Reddit, the station not only engaged the community but also produced content about what they discovered: “What's the worst intersection in Kansas City? All of them.”  KCUR continues to cover ongoing efforts by the city to fix these issues.