Civic Engagement

Abstract

Mainstream planning discourse recognizes the importance and value of consulting with the public. In this chapter, planners are invited to critically evaluate the dominant paradigms that govern public involvement in decision-making, specifically, the dangers associated with creating adversarial relationships and dynamics. Since the 1960s, phrases such as citizen participation, public outreach, and public involvement have been popularized by planners. These terms are sometimes used interchangeably to characterize consultations with the public. This chapter introduces planning practitioners to the power and value of civic engagement. Civic engagement is simultaneously a philosophy, a core set of values, a way of working, and a set of established practices that incorporate measurable indicators and outcomes. A successfully designed and managed civic engagement strategy is one of the ways a planner can make their contribution to a project or program, regardless of their job title or job function. The concepts of community organizing and civic engagement and the six main framework elements of civic engagement are explained; they should be read in conjunction with the case studies, previously presented in Chapter 3. Planners should review the range of methods discussed in Chapters 4 and 5 and put them through a civic engagement “test” to decide where, when, and how these methods can be appropriately deployed. Learning how to transform a planning process that emphasizes public outreach (one-way communication that includes information sharing and data gathering) into one that emphasizes civic engagement (an interactive two-way communication that includes informed and reasoned deliberations) can empower the planner and the public she serves.