Making Community Engagement an Asset, Rather than a Chore

What does it mean to truly involve the public in planning processes? Neeraj Mehta finds "too much placation, manipulation and tokenism in our engagement efforts," and identifies principles for collective problem-solving and shared decision-making.

1 minute read

November 1, 2012, 5:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


The public is an incredible, and essential, asset in the successful creation, implementation, and utilization of the products of planning and development. However, Mehta finds that too often, planners neglect the value of this asset to the planning process by "wanting people to participate
without giving them the opportunity to make real decisions."

"Much of the challenge, as I see it, is based in reflection of what we
actually believe about the public and about the role and value of
engagement more broadly," says Mehta. "There is a distinct difference between
assessing people's opinions or attitudes and actually sharing planning
and decision-making responsibilities. There's a difference between real
partnerships and simply asking people to rubber-stamp decisions we've
already made...We devalue
investments in time and relationship building, which often leads to us
more easily devalue the contributions and expertise of those we engage."

She offers three fundamental principles that can guide the development of truly meaningdul community engagement strategies:

  • Acknowledge our interdependence and need for increased diversity.
  • Be honest with the complexity.
  • Be comfortable with uncertainty and controversy.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 in Next American City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 4, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Metrorail train pulling into newly opened subterranean station in Washington, D.C. with crowd on platform taking photos.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”

The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

June 2, 2025 - The Hill

White and yellow DART light rail train in Dallas, Texas with brick building in background.

DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process

The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.

May 28, 2025 - Mass Transit

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

2 hours ago - Fast Company

Aerial view of Rancho Cucamonga, California with suburban commercial center and large palm trees at sunset with mountains in background.

Car-Centric LA Suburb Looks to a Train-Oriented Future

City leaders in Rancho Cucamonga, the future western terminus of the Brightline West rail line to Las Vegas, want to reimagine the city as a transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly community.

4 hours ago - Bloomberg CityLab

Ground level view of Alaska Pipeline oil pipeline near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska with bare mountains in background.

New Alaska Bitcoin Mine Would Burn as Much Energy as the State’s Largest Coal Plant

Fueled by “stranded” natural gas, the startup hopes to become the largest in the US, and to make Alaska an industry center.

6 hours ago - Alaska Beacon

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.