Power of Coalition Building
Aligning partners.
A bike only functions when each part works in harmony. The same goes for a car, a wheelchair—even our bodies as we move through the world. Misalignment creates friction, causes delays, and can lead to failure—just as poor coordination can derail an entire mobility plan.
Step two in The Playbook: Align Partners focuses on bringing city staff, elected leaders, and community partners together to ensure each stakeholder is engaged and aligned around the shared goal, seamlessly.
This step is not without bumps in the road. It takes effort to arrive at a shared understanding. To operate as a well-oiled machine, each stakeholder must be fully committed—not just to the shared goal, but to the people working toward it. That means setting aside personal agendas and collaborating with partners you might not always agree with.
Partnership is key to the success of any city-wide initiative, with each stakeholder owning a critical piece of the project. No vision becomes reality without collective support. An elected leader may set a bold vision, but without staff buy-in, that vision is unlikely to move forward.
The same goes for community organizations. Sustainable change is hard to achieve—especially without straining relationships by acting independently of local government. Teaming up from the start helps build trust and long-term success.
City Thread centers coalition building as a way to ensure the sustainable implementation of street changes. The playbook recognizes that for a coalition to be effective and longlasting, it must represent all residents, including those who may not see mobility infrastructure as a priority.
Take Cleveland, for example. In 2023, City Thread began working with the City of Cleveland and Bike Cleveland through the AMP Technical Assistance Grant. City Thread supported their efforts to establish a citywide bike network for all ages and abilities and recommended a three-year goal of building 50 miles of accessible, connected, and safe infrastructure.
This alignment of partners is taking place through the Cleveland Streets Coalition, which City Thread launched this April at the same time the city announced the Cleveland Moves plan and its 50-mile commitment. The founding members include Bike Cleveland, Bird, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, and University Circle Inc.
“Bike Cleveland originally brought the City Thread application process to us, and has been a key partner in moving this forward,” says Sarah Davis, active transportation senior planner at the City of Cleveland. “It's helped emphasize that street safety—not just bike infrastructure— is easier for folks to understand even if they would never touch a bicycle.”
Cities need a community engagement process that is straightforward and consistent, and that communicates a clear value proposition. This step of the Playbook equips the partners with what they need to activate support for the city's initiative. When cities get clear on their community engagement needs, everyone else involved can work more efficiently. Since the launch of the Cleveland Streets Coalition, they have been working closely with the city to identify its priority projects. This collaboration will allow the coalition to schedule events and activities that reflect community needs while building support.
“The plan is built off of resident concerns, and not what some would view as the interests of the bike organization. It's a plan of the community,” says Jacob Van Sickle, executive director of Bike Cleveland.
City staff, elected leaders, and community organizations all want what’s best for the place they call home. Aligning partners gets you there faster, more effectively, and with the confidence that comes from genuine, widespread support.
We’re eager to learn about what’s shaping your community. Let’s chat—contact us at hello@citythread.org.
