From pop-ups to policy: Capturing culture in real time

As part of roadshows (meeting communties in every ward) and community pop-ups, a simple, low-barrier approach was used to gather input on culture in Ottawa. Interactive boards invited residents to respond to key questions like:

• What does culture mean to you?
• How do you describe Ottawa’s culture?
• Where do you experience culture in Ottawa?
• What are your favourite cultural activities, programs or events?
• Who are your favourite Ottawa artists, creators, cultural groups or organizations?
• What idea(s) do you have to improve culture in Ottawa?

Residents engaged with the boards in ways that felt most comfortable, writing responses, drawing, underlining ideas they agreed with, and building on what others had shared. This flexible format made it easy for people of all ages and backgrounds to contribute, encouraging spontaneous and authentic input.

The boards became collaborative spaces, capturing a wide range of perspectives while also revealing shared themes across communities.

To ensure each contribution could be captured and analyzed, optical character recognition (OCR) technology was used to digitize the boards. This process translates handwritten and visual input into data that can be quantified and better understood.

The result is a richer understanding of how residents experience culture, helping to inform future planning and support a more inclusive cultural landscape in Ottawa.