Why should the public participate in planning? And who are the
stakeholders who are required to participate in the planning process?
This guide assesses public and stakeholder participation in the planning
process, which is a statutory requirement across the entire scope and
scale of planning activities in many global contexts. It provides a
historical overview of participation and outlines how this has evolved
over time. It then outlines a series of key issues for the contemporary
planning professional in terms of their approach to public and
stakeholder participation, particularly in light of alterations in
landscapes of governance and recent social, political and technological
developments.
Illustrated with mostly UK and European case studies, but also drawing
insights from further afield, the book also provides a framework for
critiquing contemporary participation, including an assessment of the
pitfalls, obstacles and unintended consequences of participation
efforts. As such, it identifies key principles for participation and
asks critical questions for its assessment.