A Letter From the Founder

Hi, I’m Sienna Nazarian, a concerned community member born and raised in Los Angeles, California. After learning and exploring the effects of gentrification, I became consumed with the reality that people can feel culturally, physically, and socially isolated within their own communities. I was then inspired to brainstorm ways to create social equity through urban development. I found that there was no easy way for community members to voice their opinions, except for the limited speaking time at city council meetings – which are conveniently scheduled during most working hours.

Knowing that technology can revolutionize the way people interact with their neighbors, I was inspired to develop a mobile app that allows community members to voice their opinions by providing feedback on proposed municipal developments and policies. CityPoll’s vision is to elevate every individual’s voice and empower everyone to feel like an active community member.

To accomplish this goal, I thought it was important to connect the voices of 3 primary stakeholders:

For Residents

1. Have a stake in what happens in your community by voting and sharing your opinions with fellow community members and those shaping it

2. Get more transparency about the developments and policies in your area and build relationships with developers, city planners, and local officials so they know what your needs are

For Developers

1. Post your development plans and receive the feedback necessary to build projects in collaboration with those directly impacted

2. A faster process in receiving a permit from the City Council, as residents needs will be addressed during the planning process for more transparency

For Local Governments

1. Have a clearer picture of the community’s needs so you can make decisions based on the true voice of the people being affected by the issues being raised

2. A faster process in granting permits to developers, as developers’ plans will have already addressed constituents’ needs