Gresham, OR, residents have an intriguing new way to shape the future of their city. Rise Advance Dream (RAD) Gresham is a unique opportunity for residents to share and prioritize their ideas for Gresham’s strategic vision. The City is inviting its 107,000 citizens to log on to an online forum and share their hopes and dreams for their community by answering a simple question: What does Gresham need?

Gresham residents are encouraged to visit the forum at GreshamOregon.gov/RAD and start submitting their creative ideas.

Mayor Shane Bemis launched the effort during his 2013 State of the City address. He explained, “In recent years we have been so caught up in the day-to-day operation of the City that we haven’t had time to stop and ask ourselves where we want to go. I have been in Gresham most of my life and never have I seen this community more poised to have a discussion about our future.”

Bemis has assembled a group of 40 residents, business owners and community leaders with broad perspectives and interests to serve on the RAD Gresham Committee. Committee members will not only contribute their own creative visions, but will serve as ambassadors, helping solicit transformative ideas from their fellow community members – ideas that have the potential to enhance the look, feel, culture and livability of Gresham over time. At the first Committee meeting in June, potential ideas covered a wide range of topics – a community center, enhanced parks, walkability and transportation options, and signature events – to name a few. 

The RAD Committee reconvened to continue the dialogue and launch a new online platform created for the project, designed to engage a broad spectrum of the community in the visioning process. The simple online platform, which host company UserVoice generously provides to civic engagement projects like RAD Gresham at no cost, marks a new and exciting way for residents to easily join the dialogue, from the comfort of their homes, coffee shops, or smartphones. Those interested in contributing their transformative ideas to RAD Gresham can simply visit the site and input their idea into the forum. Not only can participants share their own ideas but they can rate those of others. Through the rating process, the most popular ideas will rise to the top.

“This tool is designed to make it easy for people to participate in RAD Gresham and be engaged with the City,” Bemis said. “We understand that traditional public meetings aren’t always accessible for people who are working, shuttling kids to soccer practice or running local businesses. We don’t want to miss those perspectives in this conversation.”

The Committee will hold bimonthly meetings to review ideas submitted to the RAD Gresham forum, determine which can be immediately achieved, and develop strategies around those ideas which may take additional time and coordination to realize.

For more information please contact Laura Bridges, City of Gresham: 503-618-2247; Laura.Bridges@GreshamOregon.gov.