2.2.1  Involving Citizens

A central component to the planning process is the identification of issues. Why is the community interested in planning? What is the planning process supposed to accomplish? The issues identified will be an important factor in the community choosing its planning approach. Citizen input is a sound way in which a community can begin to identify the issues that need to be addressed in the plan.

It is important to confront the issue of citizen participation and involvement early for two main reasons. First, providing numerous opportunities for citizen involvement in the planning process is essential if the plan is to gain widespread public support. Second, providing ample opportunities for citizen input can add to the cost and length of the planning process, and therefore needs to be taken into account before entering into a contract for planning services.

Enlisting the aid of citizens may bring new and important information to the attention of policy makers and provide a different perspective to the planning process. In addition, many citizens have valuable skills to contribute to the planning process.

If citizens can see that their input was considered in the formulation of plans, opposition can be minimized. Participation gives citizens pride of authorship and the knowledge that local priorities and concerns have been addressed.

For these reasons, providing opportunities for citizen involvement and comments is important at all stages of the planning process--not just at the end when preliminary and final plans and recommendations are being presented.

Although citizen participation adds to the expense of producing a plan, there are ways that local governments can limit the costs associated with it--such as by asking county-based, UW-Extension faculty to facilitate the citizen participation process, by making use of donated in-kind services, and/or by seeking the assistance of volunteers.

There are several ways in which communities can engage their citizens in discussions about planning. A number of citizen participation techniques are detailed below. Each technique has advantages and disadvantages. The techniques are not prioritized. Decisions on the proper technique will be driven by the level of financial commitment to involving citizens and by the planning approach that is to be used as a framework for the process. It will be important to use a variety of techniques. Some techniques may be more appropriate for one part of the planning process than for another.

A community-wide survey can be an excellent way to gather information and attitudes from citizens. Surveys are not good methods for generating involvement in the process after the information is gathered, however. For this reason, surveying should be combined with other methods that better maximize participation.

This technique compares the survey responses of community leaders, elected officials and citizens to see where there is community-wide agreement. The method has the same draw backs as the general survey technique.

This is a community or consultant sponsored event in which the public is invited to review alternative development scenarios or other products of the planning process. It is generally used to get citizen response to the development and/or planning alternatives. It is inexpensive but not as interactive as other approaches.

This approach uses informal interviews to get information from citizens about how they view policy issues. Each interview is an individual expression which should not be generalized to the entire community unless enough people are interviewed so that trends emerge. The citizen participation potential of this approach is good if enough people are interviewed.

Focus groups are small groups (seven to eight people) of like background brought together and interviewed in a non-threatening environment to allow them to give perceptions and different points of view. Members can influence each other by responding to comments, a more effective process than will occur in surveys or key informant interviews. Focus groups can be used at all stages of a project. They work best to uncover information on perceptions, feelings and opinions. Limitations include the difficulty of scheduling the groups and analyzing the data that is obtained.

Nominal groups are widely used as a means of identifying and prioritizing concerns, goals, or community issues. It works best with groups of eight to twelve people. Quiet brainstorming places peer pressure on others to enlarge their list of concerns about a predetermined question. There is less interaction between respondents than occurs in focus group interviews, but all participants have an equal voice.

Usually, a fairly large group (25 to 40 people) of diverse community residents are brought together for a day or longer to work on an issue. Futures workshops typically review the community’s history, detail the community’s present situation, and determine action plans for the community’s future. A variety of group processes may be used during the futures workshop. A futures workshop allows for good citizen participation and a great deal of interaction.

These committees meet over a period of time to assist planners with specific issues. Such committees can gather information, make recommendations and communicate planning items to a broader group of citizens. The community should plan in advance as to what it expects from such a committee. Key questions are as follows:

What organizations should be represented? What individuals will be able to provide valuable contributions? What different interest groups should participate? How well will the potential committee work together and with planning staff? Citizens’ advisory committees are an inexpensive way to involve citizens, and to produce information useful to the planning process.

Computer models and photographic imaging can be used to engage citizens by showing how an area may look after it is developed. However, those methods can be expensive. Other less expensive simulation techniques may involve placing and moving colored dots on a map of the community to help understand different development scenarios. Another approach is to have citizens take photographs of those features which depict what is important for community identity and which features detract from a community sense of place.

Design charettes involve an intensive effort over a short period of time (a day or a week) to develop design-related solutions to particular issues. These efforts need to be facilitated by an experienced design-oriented individual. Because of the intensity of this process, it is not a good vehicle for broad citizen participation.

Tours of community areas that illustrate the planning issues driving the planning process are an important way to educate local officials and citizens about those issues. Successful tours can be difficult to organize. They are most effective early in the planning process.

2.2.1.12 Newsletters and Informational Meetings

Newsletters and informational meetings are an important way to keep citizens informed about the progress of the planning process. A continuous flow of information is crucial for a successful planning process. However, newsletters can be costly to produce.

2.2.1.13 Encourage Citizens by Celebrating Successes

Finally, citizens should be encouraged to get involved by celebrating successes and giving recognition. People are more likely to invest time and effort in planning if they know that past plans have been used and that past planning efforts have produced positive results.

It is easy to overlook the positive effects plans have on communities. Successes due to planning often go unrecognized because the success of a plan is often measured in the things that do not happen, and in problems that do not get worse. Successes also go unrecognized because the benefits of having a plan are often reflected in small and steady improvements, rather than in dramatic leaps forward. People should be aware of how development has been made better by planning, and of how land use has been improved by zoning and subdivision regulations that are consistent with the plan. A simple certificate or awards program is one of many low-cost ways that a community can celebrate success and build support for on-going planning processes.

Citizen participation slows down the planning process. It requires more work to involve the public and requires additional work to meet requests for information, assistance and substantiation of conclusions. It means communications not solely with people who know something about planning, but also with people who are not as aware of the issues. All of this adds to the expense of the planning process.

Apathy is probable, as well. In all likelihood, there will not be a groundswell of public interest in the task of creating a new plan. Planning often receives little attention because issues are long-term as opposed to immediate.

Citizen consensus is hard to come by. There are very few subjects on which the general citizenry ever has a consensus opinion. This can become a major pitfall if a community is severely divided. Large numbers of participants can come away from input meetings with the feeling that they were not listened to.

Finally, special interests may try to dominate. Special interests in the community are organized and understand the stakes in long-range planning. Such groups often see to it that they are involved in influencing the planning process. Special interest groups are, of course, entitled and encouraged to participate. Their point of view should be heard. They should not, however, be allowed to dominate the process.

Having a plan for engaging citizenry that fits the community’s character and budget will help acknowledge the above issues and ensure effective citizen involvement.