The Promotion of Public Participation within the Planning System - Research Paper Example

 Running head: Promotion of public participation in planning systems Summary The report tries to find out the role of public participation in planning of government projects. It explores ways in which the public can participate in government projects. Considering the importance of public participation, the advantages of public participation in government projects discussed. Finally, recommendations are made on ways to promote public participation in planning of systems. Aims and objectives 1. To find out ways in which the public can participate in government projects 2. To find out the merits of public participation in planning\ 3. To find out demerits of public participation in planning 4. To suggest the recommendations on: a) Other ways of public participation in planning. b) Best ways of promoting participation in planning. PROMOTION OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION WITHIN A PLANNING SYSTEM Introduction Planning is the process of thinking about and organizing the activities in order to achieve a specific goal. In the modern world, a lot of planning is done in order to come up with projects of infrastructure for example, sewerage systems, roads, hospitals, schools etc. In the initial stages of planning, a feasibility study is carried out to asses the viability of the project. If the project is found suitable, funds are availed to the engineers and other stakeholders to start the project. However, for the success of any project, the public must be involved in the decision making. Through the peoples’ opinions, the development plans are able to suit the public and hence maximum benefit to the people. As stated by Dwight moody, the legendary promoter of Chicago plan of 1909, “participation… is the dynamic power behind the throne of [urban planning] accomplishment.”(Goodspeed 2009). Therefore, the public has to be encouraged to participate in development projects. Ways in which the public can participate in a planning system A number of public participation techniques are emerging in our society. This technique helps in the sharing of information between the public and those in authority. Giving ideas in conference halls and meetings The city or municipality can organize a seminar where the citizens of the specific area can assemble and discus in length the proposed project. In such meetings, the public is able to interact with the planning experts and get educated about the project. During such meetings, questions from the public are always answered and clarifications made where necessary. In addition, the experts are also able to get important feedbacks from the public and hence the seminar participation plays a vital role in the planning process. Writing letters to the authorities giving views about the project Individual members of the public can communicate with those in authority stating their opinions and proposals of how a certain plan should be conducted. The details of the letter would be analyzed and useful information would be adapted from it. Through such letters, the elite members of the public are able to participate in decision making of the proposed project. Indirect participation through leaders The public can participate indirectly by electing representatives. This is because it becomes hard for each and everyone’s views to be heard for example in the case of a large city. Participation through electing of leaders is a modern and civilized way of urban planning (Mohammed 1992). These representatives are a representation of the population and hence project the views of the society. Use of modern technology in participation Technology has played a key role in public participation. By use of the open space technology and social media, the authorities are able to get the public feedback and therefore able to amend the project according to the public’s opinion. Public participation in planning is very important. The following are an advantage of public participation in planning projects. Merits of participation in planning Collective intelligence/ broad based ideas In public participation a lot of ideas are brought about by the public. These ideas come from people with different professions, for example, doctors, teachers, environmentalists, business people etc. The abundance of knowledge play a key role in decision making during planning (Rifkin 2001). It is through such diverse knowledge that important and viable plans would be formulated. Exchange of information between the public and local authorities Public participation has helped in the communication between the authorities and the citizens. Through such associations, the public is able to get feedback from the authorities hence proper planning of the projects. The success of a project depends on the cordial relationship between the public and the authorities. This success can only be achieved through participation in planning (Robinson 1972). Therefore, participation is important to both the public and those in authority. Public satisfaction The citizens of a given area are able to propose their view during project planning. If such proposals were considered, the public would be satisfied with the final project. For example, in the planning of a school, the public may propose a suitable location for the construction of the school. Such a proposal if adhered to would have satisfied the public’s needs. Hence, public satisfaction is fulfilled by public participation in planning. Cooperation by the public Involvement of the public helps in the smooth implementation of the project. In projects involving relocation of people, e.g. setting up of a large industry, the willingness of the public to agree to relocation is highly appreciated. Arnold states that, “public participation helps to bring the public to understand the nature of the projects and its benefits to the society and hence the cooperation of the public.” (Arnold 1974). The idea of relocating people without their consent has led to many legal tussles in court, which tends to delay the project. In addition, for them to easily accept compensation, they need to have participated in the decision-making. Accountability and transparency Public involvement limits the chances of corruption and nepotism in the projects; this is because everything is put in a transparent manner for the public to see. Public participation helps to reduce corruption in the development projects because of vigilance by all members of the society (Saran 1982). Through transparency, a lot of money that would have been lost due to corruption is saved and used in a different area. This leads to quality implementation of projects, which is an advantage to the public. Democracy and rule of law Democracy is the rule of the people by the people and for the people. By allowing people to participate in running their township projects, they feel more in charge of their welfare and not under a tyrannical rule. Participation allows the public to be the managers of their welfare; it embraces democracy and rule of law, which is a constitutional right. Conservation of the environment The idea of involving the public will ensure good project management and all precautions will be taken so that the environment is well managed. Without the public knowledge, the construction companies can find an easy way of dumping wastes to the environment. Such wastes negatively affect the environment, which in turn affects the people. With the inclusion of public participation, the public is able to raise such concerns in time and hence good waste disposal methods would be suggested. Employment opportunities In our society, unemployment is a big problem to many youths who have completed their education. Through public participation, the locals can petition the authorities to give them some percentage of jobs in the projects. In such instances, the people from the locality are always given a priority during the recruitment of workers in the project. Cost effective Projects need to be as economical as possible to limit the wastage of resources. Due to public participation, important suggestions of economical methods are always brought to table. These suggestions involve the economical methods of waste disposal, location of cheap but effective construction materials and equipment, etc. Moreover, it becomes economical when the locals given employment in such projects as compared to people from other areas that may need more allowances. Avoiding lawsuits Court cases have stalled many development projects due to disagreements between the public and authorities. Through active engagement with the public, the conflicts between the authorities and the public can be sorted out at an earlier stage. The public is given a chance to express themselves and due to dialogue consensus on some critical rules is achieved. In addition, the public becomes aware of the use of the taxpayers money and hence ensures proper usage. Such participation has helped to prevent legal suits, which is always time consuming. Demerits of public participation Time consuming In the process of coming to a consensus with the public, a lot of time is wasted. Some members of the society would need detailed explanation hence inconveniencing the project managers. Occasionally, in such meetings, it has been very difficult to have a unanimous agreement on an idea because many people have different views (William 1973). It therefore takes time in incorporating each idea from the public into the final plan. In some instances, voting for or against an opinion has been used in such meetings to conclude. Such processes are usually lengthy and time consuming. Waste of funds In places where the seminar halls for holding discussions are rented, it becomes very expensive to hold such discussions there. Such events need proper planning and funding for them to succeed. In addition, the members participating in such discussions need some allowances hence adding more costs in the project. Recommendations Education on public participation The people need to be educated on importance of participation in planning of public facilities. Education would help to convince the ignorant groups of people to participate more in planning. The public can be educated through newspapers, journals, magazines or even through the media. For the younger generations, they have to be taught how to embrace public participation in planning. This can be done by incorporating such lessons and ideas in the school curriculum so that a child develops with the idea of public participation. Motivation during planning For the public to fully embrace participation, they need more allowances during the seminars, workshops, and meetings. These allowances encourage full participation by the public because it motivates them. The allowances acts as compensation for the time lost during the meetings and hence the public would keep participating in planning. Incorporation of modern technology in participation Modern technology has proved to be an important resource in planning. Through modern technology, the public can participate in decision making without inconveniencing their day-to-day activities (Robert 1974). The authorities should therefore use the internet as a vital source of information. They can create blogs where the public can comment on their proposals of the projects. Moreover, the social media for example, twitter etc can be used to relay views of the people to the authorities for implementation. Toll free phone lines Use of phones is an important method of passing information. For the public to fully participate in planning, the use of phones has to be encouraged in giving feedback. The authorities can therefore establish a toll free line in which the public can submit their ideas. The phone can be answered directly by a staff member who discusses issues with the caller or they can be able to record comments in form of a taped message. Conclusion In conclusion, the role of public participation in development projects is very important. Through public participation, the planning of projects can be discussed exhaustively and hence a better plan is drafted. Participation allows one to exercise his/her democratic right. It eliminates future regrets because the whole society works as one for the benefit of all and also for economic prosperity. Through public participation, the spirit of unity is embraced because there is collective reasoning. It gives space for expression of ideas and allows equal presentation of ideas. In essence, public participation should be embraced and encouraged in the society because of its collective benefits. References Arnold, W (1974). Encyclopedia of urban planning. McGraw hill, New York. Goodspeed Rob 2009. Internet Participation in Planning: Historical Context and a Framework for Discussion, Princeton Summit on City Planning, Civic Engagement, and the Internet. April 30, 2009. < http://web.mit.edu/rgoodspe/www/papers/RGoodspeed-CCIS-InternetParticipation.pdf > Mohammed, H (1992). The Role of Community Participation in Development Planning. Department of Town Publishers. Malaysia. Rifkin, B (2001). Partners in planning information and empowerment. Macmillan, London. Robinson, M (1972). Decision making in urban planning an introduction to new methodologists. Sage publications, London. Robert, O (1974), Urbanization and regional planning in Africa: a comparative survey. New York publishers, New York. Sarah, M (1982).Urban planning in the third world: Chandigarh experience. Mensal publishing ltd, New York. William, C (1973). Handbook on urban planning publication. New York publishers, New York. Read More