Why "Community Advancement" Is the Future of Infrastructure Delivery: Jon Kramer in Forbes

The Importance of Project and Community Alignment

In the latest Forbes Business Council article, “Why ‘Community Advancement’ Is the Future of Infrastructure Delivery,” OHM Advisors President Jon Kramer emphasizes that infrastructure projects are more successful when the focus shifts from simply completing the project to creating lasting benefits for the community.

Kramer describes “community advancement” as an approach that begins with listening, aligns technical solutions with lived experience, and uses community feedback to guide design decisions. He highlights OHM Advisors’ redesign of a public park within Detroit’s Michigan Central district, where resident input helped shape gathering spaces, consider visitor flow throughout the park, determine the best approach to preserving mature trees, and retain the park’s overall historic character.

The issue has less to do with a lack of investment or technical skill and more to do with a misalignment between what is being built and what actual communities need.

The project resulted in more than an upgraded public space; it became a reflection of the community’s identity, encouraging ownership while creating infrastructure that was more resilient, relevant, and impactful. Jon explains that aligning with the community early in the process builds trust, reduces delays, improves long-term outcomes, and helps avoid costly revisions.

While the benefits of a community-focused infrastructure approach are clear, Jon explains that external pressures will continue to push the industry toward short-term solutions if leaders do not acknowledge the risks and challenge this sort of transactional thinking. He states that firms should define success as more than just project delivery. By putting that philosophy into everyday practice, they will be better positioned to deliver lasting outcomes for their clients over time. He shares four practices that organizations can implement today to deliver stronger, more successful outcomes for communities in the future.

This article marks Jon’s fifth contribution to Forbes Business Council, following his earlier pieces on the impact of AI on the future of infrastructure, managing growth, career loyalty and leadership and leadership lessons from human-centered infrastructure design.

Read the full Forbes article here.

About OHM Advisors

OHM Advisors is known as the community advancement firm designing award-winning work across the architecture, engineering and planning spheres. Founded in 1962, we believe in the power of multidisciplinary teamwork to find ideas that aren’t just different – they are better. Recognized as an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm, our nearly 1,000-person team operates from offices in multiple states throughout the U.S., partnering with leaders at all government levels, school districts, developers, universities and private companies to create great places for people.