Public Participation

 

Our society’s civic infrastructure is every bit as important as its physical infrastructure. Winston Churchill was correct: "We shape our buildings; thereafter, they shape us." Therefore, public participation is vital to the processes of community design, planning, and development.

Community change processes affect residents, first and foremost; they should be able to help shape such changes. Private sector businesses rely on multi-billion-dollar market studies to ascertain consumer desires, but local governments typically solicit public participation only through public hearings, of which many residents are often unaware..

Community involvement and citizen participation in planning may be more time- and resource-intensive than wholly “top-down” planning, but they offer the following significant benefits:

• Ensuring the retention of good plans and policies over time, through the development of a long-lasting and stable constituency.
• Reducing the likelihood of contentious battles over density and land use, which have eclipsed the equally important considerations of context and fit. Proactive planning that incorporates meaningful public involvement increases the likelihood of a project’s success.
• Speeding the development process and helping prevent costs associated with public opposition.
• Increasing the quality of planning, by combining the insights of an informed citizenry with the guidance of professionals.
• Enhancing the relationship between citizens and government. Local and regional governments become more open, responsive and effective, eliciting increased trust and sense of ownership on the part of citizens.

Successful public participation also often requires specialized group process techniques, such as the use of three-dimensional visuals and participatory activities. As the old proverb says, "Tell me I forget. Show me, I remember. Involve me, I understand."

LGC Projects

The Local Government Commission assists cities and counties in expanding and improving their public participation efforts. Specifically, trained LGC personnel are available to work with local governments on preparing customized tools for public participation, such as Community Image Surveys that convey individuals’ preferences. The LGC is also developing a presentation on compact development that will include a participatory process to help people understand some of he tradeoffs involved in new residential development

Resources

In 1995, the Local Government Commission developed a guidebook discussing techniques and case studies to improve participation in land use planning:

• Participation Tools for Better Land-Use Planning: Techniques and Case Studiesdiscusses the importance of public involvement in the planning process and offers a variety of visual/graphic techniques for facilitating such involvement. A case study helps illustrate each technique.

Under Free Publications and Resources you will also find information on some of the Participation Tools and Techniques that are being used by communities and regions around the country.

Web Links

• FHWA's "Public Involvement Techniques for Transportation Decision-Making (www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/pittd/cover.htm)
• FHWA/FTA Questions and Answers on Public Involvement in Transportation Decisionmaking (www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/pub_inv/q_and_a.htm)
• National Charette Institute (www.charretteinstitute.org)
• Project for Public Spaces (www.pps.org)
• Public Participation Around the World (www.islandnet.com/~connor)