The Reality TV Approach to Public Participation

Urban planning professors from the University of Kansas suggest that televising community meetings and using techniques from reality TV could significantly increase participation.

From the University of Kansas press release:

"More specifically, planners can use reality TV to create "ethical spectacles' that draw attention to planning issues while creating democratic two-way dialogues with the public.

'Community planners historically have struggled to pull people away from the TV to attend an evening meeting about a community project,' said Bonnie Johnson, assistant professor of urban planning at KU. 'But new technologies mean planners don't necessarily have to pull people away from the TV; rather, they can use TV to engage citizens. Moreover, planners who make these planning processes more like reality TV - rather than the standard town hall, C-Span-style meeting - have a better chance of increasing citizen participation.'"

Thanks to Joe Monaco

Full Story: Community planners can use reality TV to drive participation, KU researchers say

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