Public participation and community engagement exist in various forms and are central to the practice of planning, but they still are contested concepts. They remain contentious, in part, because local knowledge and local expertise are contested concepts. The rational planning model and a communicative approach to planning are often presented as being adversarial to one another, which results in exaggerated comparisons. Where the rational planning model’s emphasizes “objective” information produced used technical or scientific methods, communicative approaches to planning embraces nontechnical information and calls for an open accounting of the value systems that underlie practice. Where the rational model (even in is adapted form) promotes a systematic process with clearly defined steps, the communicative approach endorses a more amorphous process of engagement. Finally, where the planner plays the role of an expert technician with substantial influence of the planning process, the communicative approach calls for planners to step back and organize participation to address the distortions in communication (Forester, 1989). The division of these theories into binary comparisons misrepresents both approaches through oversimplification. These comparisons suggest inextricable differences when, in fact, these theoretical elements denote substantial weaknesses only when taken to the extreme. Both communicative approaches to planning and the rational planning model place a high value of information and its incorporation into planning practice. Problems arise when either technical information or local interests dominates the planning process at the expense of the other.
This course covers the conceptual foundation of public participation and community engagement, the processes and institutions involved in urban planning and design decision- making, and professional skills necessary to conceptualize and implement high-quality community engagement activities. It is a hands-on, skill-building course focused project design and inclusive presentation. In addition to completing readings selected to build theoretical knowledge, students will engage in 1) in-class exercises to expand their facilitation and engagement skills, 2) regular writing assignments to improve the quality of their professional writing; and 3) semester long projects to develop their critical analysis of real- world cases and the acquisition of crucial management skills.
Previously offered as PLAN 590