LMGS Featured Work

City of Deerfield Beach

City of Deerfield Beach

Deerfield Beach, Florida
October 2024 – May 2025

Reason for Engagement

The City of Deerfield Beach sought to update its zoning regulations and redevelopment plans for the Dixie Highway Corridor—an area central to the City’s identity and rich with potential for vibrant, community-driven growth. Recognizing the importance of equitable and inclusive planning, the City set out to engage residents, business owners, and other stakeholders in shaping a shared vision for the corridor’s future.

Building on previous planning efforts, City leadership recognized an opportunity to broaden participation and elevate voices that had not always been fully represented—particularly among small business owners and underrepresented residents. Traditional outreach methods had provided valuable insights but could be further enhanced through more accessible, bilingual, and interactive engagement strategies designed to strengthen trust and collaboration.

The City’s goal was to develop a zoning and redevelopment framework that authentically reflected community priorities, supported equitable investment, and addressed housing, infrastructure, walkability, and small business vitality.

LM Genuine Solutions (LMGS) was selected to lead this effort based on its experience facilitating equity-centered engagement, translating complex planning concepts into accessible formats, and fostering meaningful partnerships between government and community. The City partnered with LMGS to design and implement a comprehensive, bilingual engagement process—one that combined creative outreach, clear communication, and actionable data to inform future planning decisions.

Strategic priorities driving the engagement

Advance equity by incorporating historically excluded voices into zoning conversations.
Build transparency and trust between the City and its residents.
Provide City leaders with a clear roadmap of community-informed considerations to guide future zoning updates and corridor investments.
Lay the foundation for policy decisions that are inclusive, data-driven, and responsive to public input.

Sector / Industry

Public Sector
Urban Planning
Community Engagement

Services Engaged

Strategic Leadership & Problem Solving

Strategic Relationship Building

Project Management

Organizational Support and Management

Group Facilitations

Administrative Support

Our Approach

Discovery & Planning

LMGS was engaged by the City of Deerfield Beach to support outreach related to proposed zoning updates along the Dixie Highway Corridor. Through preliminary conversations with city staff, we learned of the City’s desire to ensure rezoning efforts were informed by public input, with particular attention to equity and resident priorities.

We reviewed the City’s existing redevelopment plans and zoning documents, collaborated with planning staff, and mapped out community assets. Input from city commissioners, local businesses, residents, and civic leaders was used to shape our engagement strategy.

Strategy & Design

We designed a phased engagement framework that aligned with the City’s rezoning schedule and provided multiple avenues for public participation. Our approach included a kickoff session to introduce the project, a virtual host committee to guide messaging and trust-building, and interactive community workshops organized by key thematic stations.

Tools, frameworks, or processes applied

Interactive workshop design
Digital & Print Surveys
Community feedback synthesis using theme-based analysis
Multilingual facilitation and interpretation
Focus area mapping aligned with corridor planning priorities

Collaboration

We worked closely with Deerfield Beach’s Planning Department and city leadership to co-design all engagement activities. The City provided technical planning expertise, while LMGS led implementation, communications, and facilitation.

City staff participated in meetings, shared updates with commissioners, supported logistics, and ensured internal alignment across departments. Their partnership ensured information flowed smoothly between government and the public.

Execution & Implementation

Key Activities & Milestones

Public Kickoff Meeting
Host Committee Meeting
In-person Community Workshops
Two Local Canvassing Sessions
Six Stakeholder Focus Groups
Development of Community Themes & Synthesis

Timeline

The project ran from October 2024 to May 2025. Our kickoff meeting, initially scheduled earlier in the process, was moved at the City’s request due to conflicting priorities. With the revised timeline, we were able to reschedule and continue the work as planned, ensuring steady progress and completion of the final deliverable.

Resources Deployed

Engagement facilitation
Multilingual Interpretation
Design and communication
Stakeholder outreach
Session Documentation
Strategic project management
Analysis/ Report Development

City of Deerfield Beach

Project Outputs

Over 150 stakeholders engaged across meetings
Over 200 residents contacted during canvassing efforts
Key community themes synthesized from focus groups
Final Considerations Report adopted as a tool for future zoning efforts
2 public-facing events + 2 advisory group sessions
6 stakeholder focus groups
Collateral developed in 3 languages
Robust participation from diverse demographics (residents, small businesses, and faith-based leaders)

The Final Product

Deliverables:

Final Considerations Report summarizing engagement findings and resident themes
Translated outreach collateral and facilitation materials
Workshop summaries, progress reports, and documentation
A comprehensive presentation during a City Commission Meeting

The Final Considerations Report, informed by community input, is now being used to shape future zoning and corridor design standards. City staff are equipped to build on this input in upcoming planning cycles.

The City now has a community-tested roadmap that reflects local values and encourages equitable, long-term redevelopment. The engagement model used for Dixie Highway can also inform future planning projects across Deerfield Beach and beyond.

“LMGS brought clarity and compassion to our outreach efforts, assisting the City of Deerfield Beach to connect in a meaningful way with the community. Their performance made our program more inclusive and impactful.”

Bernard Jones, Redevelopment Project Coordinator

City of Deerfield Beach

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