Battersea Power Station is one of London's great landmarks. It's also one of London's great ruins.

Build over an extended period between 1929 and 1955, the power station once was responsible for lighting most of London. It stopped generating in 1983. Despite two previous efforts to redevelop the site, it has site idle ever since.

Well, not quite.

Each of tho two failed redevelopment efforts resulted in some demolition work. At one point, the roof of the central boiler house was removed. And so the elements have taken their toll.

Today, a company called Treasury Holdings is offering a sweeping new proposal to restore the power station and redevelop the site. And it was thanks to this effort that two weeks ago, I got to take a walk around the see the landmark first hand and experience one of the most effective pieces of experiential communications I have even seen.

Like developers everywhere, Treasury Holdings has to convince planning officials to allow them to proceed with their plans for the site. As a part of that process, they have to demonstrate that they have consulted the community.

In order to facilitate that consultation, the company has invited the public to see the usually off-limits power station in person.

But before you can get out and walk the site, you must first walk through the developers' interactive consultation center. It only takes about 15 minutes, but along the way, you learn something of the power station's history and great deal about Liberty's plans. You even get some insight into the thought process behind the plans.

When you finish, Treasury asks you to complete a consultation questionnaire which, presumably, they intend to pass along to the planning officials who must sign off on their plans.

My bet, given their outstanding, engaging and interactive demonstration, is that the vast majority of those questionnaires will include positive feedback from community members. I know mine did. (If you're interested in the details of the redevelopment plans, Treasury has posted most of the materials online here.)

Now, not everyone aiming to interact with the community is going to have a world-famous landmark at the disposal. But the underlying theme here is transferable to any effort. If you identify an interested audience, provide engaging information, and ask for feedback, you'll get it.

(And if you'd like to read my personal reflections on our visit to the site and my views on the proposal, you can read them over on the personal blog and you can see my photos here.)