Who Decides What Gets Built? The People and Power Behind Progress
The future is being built all around us, with billions invested in energy, infrastructure, and emerging technologies. But who’s driving these changes, and how much power do everyday people have to shape what comes next?
On Election Day, questions about power and representation feel especially relevant. But community influence doesn’t begin and end at the ballot box.
From renewable energy projects to new transportation systems, major investments are transforming our communities. Who decides what gets built, where it goes, and who benefits?
Join community engagement strategist Kidan Araya for an interactive exploration of how everyday people can influence these decisions. Through real-world stories and audience discussion, we’ll explore why promising projects face resistance, how local knowledge reveals overlooked problems, and what changes when communities help shape decisions from the beginning.
Kidan Araya is a human geographer and community engagement strategist with more than a decade of experience working across public policy, emerging technology, and community engagement. From engaging communities in battleground states and supporting residents after oil spills to advising policymakers in Congress, she has helped governments, companies, and international organizations develop solutions informed by the people they affect.
Today, she leads Pacific Africa, an advisory practice focused on energy, infrastructure, and transportation. She also hosts Remembered Futures, created Chalicity, and brings people together through public discussion salons and Ethiopian coffee ceremonies.
