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Citizen representation in neighbourhood improvement programs

University of British Columbia

This thesis addresses the issue of representation in planning for neighbourhood improvement. A literature review indicates that critics have argued that citizen involvement establishes a forum for a vocal minority rather than a representative cross section of the community. This research demonstrates the potential for citizen involvement to foster a representative community consensus and it uncovers methods by which this can be assured by a neighbourhood planner. Representation in citizen involvement is explored so that the planning profession can defend this important, yet costly, process. The issue is clarified for the planners who view the idea of participatory democracy as Utopian, yet, still advocate it. Two case studies of the citizen committee approach are undertaken. The elements of the approved neighbourhood improvement programs are examined in relation to the characteristics of the committee, the process undertaken in carrying out the planning task, and the role of the planner. While the location of committee member homes within the neighbourhood influenced the content of the plan, a positive basis for representation was found in various aspects of the planning process and not in the make-up of the committee itself. The role of the planner was instrumental Xn broadening the perspective of committee members by ensuring that many different approaches to citizen involvement were used to dilute committee member biases. In one of the case studies, the planner broadened the make-up of the committee by holding public meetings at various places throughout the neighbourhood so that the planning process could be brought as close as possible to all the people. In that case, the committee evolved a universalistic point of view from an initial strongly particularistic one. These factors all had a demonstrable effect on the plan. Meanwhile, the planner evolved an understanding of the values of committee members which was necessary to facilitate the preparation of meeting agendas satisfactory to all. A partial model for the role of the planner is developed to facilitate a representative process involving mutual learning.

Text

2010-03-17

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/22050

Planning

University of British Columbia

Graduate