Involvement of Local People in Urban Planning

I define participatory planning as processes for consulting the public on policy and
planning decisions, primarily at the municipal level of government. Participatory
planning as a modern practice arose in the US from backlash against major urban
renewal projects in the 1960s and 1970s. Critics such as Jane Jacobs and Paul
Davidoff questioned the appropriateness of the scientific rationales for the
destructive changes of urban renewal, and sparked a wave of support for better
incorporating residents’ preferences, values, and knowledge into urban planning
decision, it was arose because there was a wave to demolish poorer people
Resident for redevelopment of the Area without Consulting them or Involving
them, to solve these problem a wide range of scholars , theorist and urban planners
have advocated for different theoretical models that emphaize citizen participation
In the planning process. They all have Given some Influential theoretical
framework few of them are :-
1) Non Hierarchical Planning- the idea of this is that there should not be any
hierchary like tree for planning any cities
2) Arnstein ladder of citizen participation
3) Participation Planning Models
4) Adovocacy Planning-this idea was a bit practical because here proffesional
planner go and consult the experienced and knowledgeable person of that area
and advocated it to the plans.
Many planners, scholars, and citizens see public participation as an intrinsic,
inherently good aspect of democracy. Digging below the surface, however, reveals a
range of goals for participatory planning processes, sometimes in conflict with each
other. Differing goals and assumptions can lead to differences in the designs and
outcomes of participatory planning processes.
Coming to the Problem there is a important problem of public participation processes
is that they provide another lever for citizens whose interests are already
disproportionately represented to further their interests.
Participatory planning is very complex idea there is lot of challenges and in parallel
we also need to adopt this for marginalized communities so that they also involve in
the Changing their Area of Residence.
Another potential problem especially is a negative or counterproductive group dynamic.
Groups working together can experience groupthink, in which the goal of consensus
overrides all other goals, leading the group to make irrational decisions
At the Last we can say that Involving People is necessary but with some Limitation and
some given technological Set of Options which they can utilised, the biggest example in
modern world of participatory planning is world bank that works in different part of
Africa for Infrastructure Development They Involve people by Organising Games and
Active Engagement with the people.