The Need For Improved Democracy In Planning

"For democracy to flourish citizens must become more engaged, empowered, and assertive, and institutions of governance must become more inclusive, transparent, and responsive." (Rockefeller Brothers Fund website)

How often do we see the words democracy and planning in the same sentence? It’s true that increasing public participation has made its way into mainstream planning initiatives, but getting people (even hundreds of diverse people) to show up to a meeting does not necessarily improve the planning process or planning outcomes.

I would argue that in order to truly improve the way planning decisions are made, and the quality of those decisions, planning agencies and institutions must a) commit to the notion that democracy in planning is worth improving, and b) take advantage of a variety of communication, visualization, mapping and impact analysis tools to make it happen.

Author: Ken Snyder

Full Story: http://www.planetizen.com/node/17469