Who Cares? The Emotional Paradox of Public Engagement

What should planners do when members of the public “care loudly” at them? The emotional paradox of public engagement arises because our emotions often motivate us to plan so that all people in our communities can flourish rather than suffer, but our instincts, reinforced by our education, training, and professional norms, may lead us to try to control or avoid emotions altogether in the actual work of planning. Research from psychology and neuroscience demonstrates, from a basic scientific standpoint, that trying to maintain the paradox is impossible, which helps to explain common pitfalls that planners fall into when doing their work. Deepening emotional, social, and cultural intelligence holds considerable potential for meeting our field’s aspirational goals of fostering more compassionate and inclusive communities.

Ward Lyles, PhD, AICP
Associate Professor
Urban Planning Program
School of Public Affairs and Administration
University of Kansas
Research Team Website https://lylesresearch.drupal.ku.edu