Involving the Community in Neighborhood Planning

The 2004 ULI/Charles H. Shaw Forum on Urban Community Issues prepared by Deborah L. Myerson

The Urban Land Institute, as they are often want to do, have produced a useful book of community participation in the neighborhood planning process; dated but still relevant. While the focus of the discussion is on cities of all sizes, the lessons to be learned are directly applicable to small cities and towns. Without citizen support, plans of any kind go nowhere; without resident and city collaboration and participation, neighborhood plans go nowhere and may actually reduce resident confidence in the entire planning process. “Just another study” becomes a mantra that stymies future efforts to be constructive.