The Need For Improved Democracy In Planning

Improving 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.

Planning and related land use issues at the local level present one of the greatest opportunities for improving participatory democracy and yet most public participation in planning today is periodic and reactive. Real democracy in planning should ensure that the public participates in regular and iterative discussions with planners and community officials to pro-actively set the course for growth and development in their community.

The public should be part of a process that develops the proposals and creates discussions about whether or not a proposed development project is acceptable. In this case, the quality of public involvement can be measured, not only by the number and diverse nature of people who participate, but also by the quality of the decisions made and the level of improvement to the democratic nature of decision making.

To foster democracy in planning, information and public engagement need to be inextricably linked to the decision making process. Traditionally, planners and experts have kept information and the tools to complete their jobs to themselves. But now, information is at everyone's fingertips, and tools for community design and decision making (also called decision support tools) can help all of us digest and visualize the complicated nuances of issues, understand probable impacts of different strategies, and identify potential solutions. Many communities, both small are large, are at the forefront of integrating these cutting edge technologies into their planning processes. See, for example, how:

• Visualization and mapping tools were used in a small Rocky Mountain town to demonstrate the visual and physical impacts of a proposed development plan, giving community members an opportunity to set a new direction for future growth.
• Online mapping and communication tools were integrated into a public education and input process to identify the best future uses of abandoned and vacant properties in the city of Philadelphia.
• GIS modeling, visualization, and public participation techniques were combined by Sacramento Council of Governments to help citizens plan how their neighborhood should grow and change. Through a real-time iterative process, using an online computer mapping and analysis tool called PLACE3S, the participants saw for themselves how every decision they made, such as changing zoning designations, might play-out over the next 50 years.
• Keypad polling and wireless laptops have been used in public meetings around the country to gather resident input and instantly feed back ideas, concerns, and solutions for more in-depth consideration.

Working side-by-side with an informed public, officials and experts can take advantage of the wealth of decision support tools to create and institutionalize long-term participatory processes that facilitate civic engagement, resolve conflicts at different scales, and address the complexities and rapid changes of community life.

Orange County Florida—A Case Study in Progress

Keep an eye on the Orange County Planning Division (OCPD) in Orlando, Florida, which recently embarked on an initiative to build upon their internal capacity to enhance decision making in land use planning. The OCPD was chosen by PlaceMatters (a program of The Orton Family Foundation) to participate in a Community Planning Collaborative.

The goal of this year-long initiative is to enhance the quality of planning decisions in Orange County, Florida, and to create a national forum (October 27-30, 2005 in Orlando, Florida) to demonstrate how the integration of public participation and technical tools can enhance planning and decision making processes in all communities. A number of the tools described above will be used throughout the CPC event, providing participants with a variety of opportunities to observe them in action and speak directly with the tool providers about how they can be applied to real planning situations in other communities.

The challenge before us is to identify the best strategies for public agencies to choose, adopt, and institutionalize decision support tools that fit the needs of their particular communities. One of the best ways to begin is to observe other communities on the cutting edge of decision and get informed about what tools and techniques are available to us.

Ken Snyder is the Director for PlaceMatters.com, a national organization working to engage communities in democratic, holistic and place-based planning.