Participatory planning
Encyclopedia
Participatory planning is an urban planning
paradigm
that emphasizes involving the entire community in the strategic and management processes of urban planning; or, community-level planning processes, urban or rural. It is often considered as part of community development
.
and Kurt Lewin
as key pioneers, as well as claiming planning fathers Patrick Geddes
and Lewis Mumford
as participatory planners. Freire’s belief that poor and exploited people can, and should be, enabled to analyze their own reality was a fundamental inspiration for the participatory planning movement. Lewin’s relevance lay in his integration of democratic leadership, group dynamics
, experiential learning
, action research
, and open system
s theory, and his efforts to overcome racial and ethnic injustices.
In general, PRA has been supplanted by Participatory Learning and Action
(PLA), which emphasizes the links between the participatory process and action. Related work has been done on community-based participatory research
(CBPR).
, whom Fisher considered a leading icon of the movement, defines PRA according to the following principles;
Handing over the stick (or pen or chalk)
Self-critical awareness
Personal responsibility
Sharing
is an example of participatory planning.
A number of examples link participatory community plans with local government
planning. One widely=applied example is South Africa
's national policy of community-based planning methodology, and an adapted version, the Harmonised Participatory Planning Guide for Lower Level Local Governments, which is national policy in Uganda. Community-Based Planning has been applied across the whole of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality
in South Africa, including the City of Durban, and is being rolled out in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality
.For further information on community-based economic development in Uganda, South Africa, Ghana and Zimbabwe, visit the African Institute for Community-Driven Development's website. Community-Based Planning is an example of the practical application of the sustainable living
.
can be identified.
Many experiences with Participatory Reflection and Action and participatory planning suffer from a lack of follow-up. PRA has often not been part of a system, but an ad-hoc
process. Community-Based Planning has tried to overcome this by linking planning to the mainstream local government planning system.
Another challenge is caused by a lack of funds to actually implement the plans, which can lead to participation fatigue and frustration among communities. In the social-investment funds supported by the World Bank, participatory planning is often the first step, often leading to planning of infrastructure. In some cases, such as Community-Based Planning in South Africa, amounts of around US$3,500 to $6,800 are provided to each ward to implement activities arising from the ward plan. This then stimulates more widespread community action.
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
paradigm
Paradigm
The word paradigm has been used in science to describe distinct concepts. It comes from Greek "παράδειγμα" , "pattern, example, sample" from the verb "παραδείκνυμι" , "exhibit, represent, expose" and that from "παρά" , "beside, beyond" + "δείκνυμι" , "to show, to point out".The original Greek...
that emphasizes involving the entire community in the strategic and management processes of urban planning; or, community-level planning processes, urban or rural. It is often considered as part of community development
Community development
Community development is a broad term applied to the practices and academic disciplines of civic leaders, activists, involved citizens and professionals to improve various aspects of local communities....
.
Origins
In the UN Habitat document Building Bridges Through Participatory Planning, Fred Fisher, president of the International Development Institute for Organization and Management, identifies Participatory Reflection And Action (PRA) as the leading school of participatory planning. He identifies Paulo FreirePaulo Freire
Paulo Reglus Neves Freire was a Brazilian educator and influential theorist of critical pedagogy.-Biography:...
and Kurt Lewin
Kurt Lewin
Kurt Zadek Lewin was a German-American psychologist, known as one of the modern pioneers of social, organizational, and applied psychology....
as key pioneers, as well as claiming planning fathers Patrick Geddes
Patrick Geddes
Sir Patrick Geddes was a Scottish biologist, sociologist, philanthropist and pioneering town planner. He is known for his innovative thinking in the fields of urban planning and education....
and Lewis Mumford
Lewis Mumford
Lewis Mumford was an American historian, philosopher of technology, and influential literary critic. Particularly noted for his study of cities and urban architecture, he had a broad career as a writer...
as participatory planners. Freire’s belief that poor and exploited people can, and should be, enabled to analyze their own reality was a fundamental inspiration for the participatory planning movement. Lewin’s relevance lay in his integration of democratic leadership, group dynamics
Group dynamics
Group dynamics refers to a system of behaviors and psychological processes that occur within a social group , or between social groups...
, experiential learning
Experiential education
Experiential education is a philosophy of education that describes the process that occurs between a teacher and student that infuses direct experience with the learning environment and content. The term is mistakenly used interchangeably with experiential learning...
, action research
Action research
Action research or participatory action research – is a reflective process of progressive problem solving led by individuals working with others in teams or as part of a "community of practice" to improve the way they address issues and solve problems. Action research is done simply by action,...
, and open system
Open system
Open system may refer to:*Open system , one of a class of computers and associated software that provides some combination of interoperability, portability and open software standards, particularly Unix and Unix-like systems...
s theory, and his efforts to overcome racial and ethnic injustices.
In general, PRA has been supplanted by Participatory Learning and Action
Participatory rural appraisal
Participatory rural appraisal is an approach used by non-governmental organizations and other agencies involved in international development...
(PLA), which emphasizes the links between the participatory process and action. Related work has been done on community-based participatory research
Community-based participatory research
Community-based participatory research is research that is conducted as an equal partnership between traditionally trained "experts" and members of a community. In CBPR projects, the community participates fully in all aspects of the research process....
(CBPR).
Principles
Robert ChambersRobert Chambers (development scholar)
- His approach:Since the 1980s, he has been one of the leading advocates for putting the poor, destitute and marginalised at the centre of the processes of development policy. In particular he argues they should be taken into account when the development problem is identified, policy formulated and...
, whom Fisher considered a leading icon of the movement, defines PRA according to the following principles;
Handing over the stick (or pen or chalk)
- Facilitating investigation, analysis, presentation and learning by local people themselves, so they generate and own the outcomes and also learn.
Self-critical awareness
- Facilitators continuously and critically examine their own behavior.
Personal responsibility
- Taking responsibility for what is done, rather than, for instance, relying on the authority of manuals or on rigid rules.
Sharing
- Involves the wide range of techniques now available, from chatting across the fence to photocopies and e-mail.
Methods
PRA and PLA methods and approaches include:- Do-it-yourself: local people as experts and teachers, and outsiders as novices
- Local analysisLocal analysisIn mathematics, the term local analysis has at least two meanings - both derived from the idea of looking at a problem relative to each prime number p first, and then later trying to integrate the information gained at each prime into a 'global' picture...
of secondary sourceSecondary sourceIn scholarship, a secondary source is a document or recording that relates or discusses information originally presented elsewhere. A secondary source contrasts with a primary source, which is an original source of the information being discussed; a primary source can be a person with direct...
s - Mapping and modeling
- Time lines and trend and change analysis
- Seasonal calendars
- Daily time-useTime use researchTime use research is a developing interdisciplinary field of study dedicated to knowing how people allocate their time during an average day. Work Intensity is the umbrella topic that incorporates Time Use, specifically time poverty....
analysis - Institutional diagramming
- Matrix scoring and ranking
- Shared presentations and analysis, and
- Participatory planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring.
Examples
The community-driven development approach advocated by the World BankWorld Bank Group
The World Bank Group is a family of five international organizations that makes leveraged loans, generally to poor countries.The Bank came into formal existence on 27 December 1945 following international ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements, which emerged from the United Nations Monetary...
is an example of participatory planning.
A number of examples link participatory community plans with local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
planning. One widely=applied example is South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's national policy of community-based planning methodology, and an adapted version, the Harmonised Participatory Planning Guide for Lower Level Local Governments, which is national policy in Uganda. Community-Based Planning has been applied across the whole of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
in South Africa, including the City of Durban, and is being rolled out in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality
Ekurhuleni Municipality
Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of the East Rand region of Gauteng, South Africa. The name Ekurhuleni means place of peace in Tsonga. Ekurhuleni is one of the 6 districts of Gauteng province of South Africa and one of the 8...
.For further information on community-based economic development in Uganda, South Africa, Ghana and Zimbabwe, visit the African Institute for Community-Driven Development's website. Community-Based Planning is an example of the practical application of the sustainable living
Sustainable living
Sustainable living is a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources and his/her own resources. Practitioners of sustainable living often attempt to reduce their carbon footprint by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet...
.
Challenges
Ensuring that all sections of the community are able to participate is a challenge for participatory planning. Some approaches, such as Community-Based Planning, separate the community so that the livelihoods and preferred outcomes of different social groupsGroup (sociology)
In the social sciences a social group can be defined as two or more humans who interact with one another, share similar characteristics and collectively have a sense of unity...
can be identified.
Many experiences with Participatory Reflection and Action and participatory planning suffer from a lack of follow-up. PRA has often not been part of a system, but an ad-hoc
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
process. Community-Based Planning has tried to overcome this by linking planning to the mainstream local government planning system.
Another challenge is caused by a lack of funds to actually implement the plans, which can lead to participation fatigue and frustration among communities. In the social-investment funds supported by the World Bank, participatory planning is often the first step, often leading to planning of infrastructure. In some cases, such as Community-Based Planning in South Africa, amounts of around US$3,500 to $6,800 are provided to each ward to implement activities arising from the ward plan. This then stimulates more widespread community action.
See also
- Participatory budgetingParticipatory budgetingParticipatory budgeting is a process of democratic deliberation and decision-making, and a type of participatory democracy, in which ordinary people decide how to allocate part of a municipal or public budget...
- Participatory economicsParticipatory economicsParticipatory economics, often abbreviated parecon, is an economic system proposed primarily by activist and political theorist Michael Albert and radical economist Robin Hahnel, among others. It uses participatory decision making as an economic mechanism to guide the production, consumption and...
- Participatory justiceParticipatory justiceParticipatory justice is the use of alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation, conciliation, and arbitration, in criminal justice systems, instead of, or before, going to court...
- Public participationPublic participationPublic participation is a political principle or practice, and may also be recognised as a right . The terms public participation may be used interchangeably with the concept or practice of stakeholder engagement and/or popular participation.Generally public participation seeks and facilitates the...
External links
- The World Bank Participation Sourcebook: Participatory Planning
- Communities and Local Government UK: Participatory Planning for Sustainable Communities: International experience in mediation, negotiation and engagement in making plans