Community Participation

Community Participation (PDF 2MB)

Community participation, public participation or participatory planning are the terms which are used interchangeably but aims at involving people in the community to get the maximum benefit for the whole society. Community participation program is about gathering different views from whoever wants to participate and making people in the city feel welcome to voice their opinions. Participatory planning is usually used by planners to get people to come together on various important issues faced in a city or to engage rural community. Participatory approach invites people to community activity that are being conducted by city planners and people in authority such as those in city councils, state or government bodies. There are many strategies that are used to bring the community together and these usually involve research methods being undertaken by the councils and councillors. It is not about getting the majority of the votes, but it is about gathering different views to conclude the best methods for planners to adopt strategies that fit and prove important for the community based on what the community prefers.