Why Neighbors Don’t Come to Meetings—and How Leaders Can Listen Differently

Neighborhood leaders and city officials often wonder why residents don’t show up to meetings or public input sessions. According to rural development leader and author Becky McCray, the problem may not be apathy—it may be the setting.

“You will never get the best ideas for your community by asking people to come to City Hall and sit in council chambers,” McCray said at a recent workshop. “The best ideas for your community are out in your community. You have to go look for them and listen to them.”

The Problem With City Hall

Traditional meeting spaces—like council chambers, classrooms, or church basements—can feel unwelcoming. Many residents associate these locations with bureaucracy, conflict, or negativity.

“City Hall itself isn’t the friendliest location,” McCray explained. “It implies this process is all about the city government. People go to City Hall with their problems and negativity, and that negativity has seeped into the walls.”

Meeting People Where They Are

Instead of trying to bring people into formal spaces, McCray encourages leaders to engage neighbors in the places where they already gather. That might mean asking questions at a church fellowship, talking with young people at the basketball court, or listening over coffee at a local shop.

“Go where community is happening. Listen there,” she said.

The City of Peoria, Arizona, hosts hearings and meetings close to the impacted areas with great success. You can read about their efforts in this blog post.

Shifting the Role of Neighborhood Associations

Neighborhood associations, McCray suggests, can be most effective not by acting as decision-making bodies but by serving as connectors and listeners. Leaders can build stronger engagement by learning what residents already care about and helping connect resources to those priorities.

Practical Steps for Leaders

Neighborhood leaders and city officials can take several steps to improve engagement:

  • Change the mindset: Measure success by conversations held, not just meeting attendance.

  • Leverage existing gatherings: Ask for input at school events, neighborhood cookouts, or church socials.

  • Be informal: Embrace casual conversations at mailboxes, front yards, or while walking the dog.

  • Follow up: Show residents their ideas were heard and connect them back to action.

Building Belonging Through Listening

When leaders listen where people already feel at home, trust grows—and that trust is the foundation of strong neighborhoods.

“In the end, the challenge isn’t that residents don’t care,” McCray said. “It’s that they care in places we’re not listening.”

For more information on building neighborhood engagement, contact MU Extension Community Development Specialist David Burton by email at burtond@missouri.edu.


Written by David L. Burton

MORE INFORMATION

Take the Engaged Neighbor pledge and become part of a movement! The pledge outlines five categories and 20 principles to guide you toward becoming an engaged neighbor. Sign the pledge at https://nomoregoodneighbors.com. Individuals who take the pledge do get special invitations to future events online and in person. Contact the blog author, David L. Burton via email at dburton541@yahoo.com or burtond@missouri.edu. You can also visit his website at https://engagedneighbor.com.

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