Planning begins with a
"vision" for the region that reflects community sentiment. What is a vision? A
vision is a description of the desired conditions that will prevail in the future,
assuming all goes well. A vision should be an expansive and inspirational statement of the
legacy the community wishes to leave for future generations.
To conceive that vision,
Peter Johnston & Associates believes that a successful planning program requires a grassroots public involvement
strategy. The desires and objectives of the people most affected by the decisions made in
the planning process are of primary importance. Consequently, an important component
of the earliest phases of the planning process is to insure that a broad constituency of
the community is represented in the process, including the public sector, major
stakeholders, the business sector, employers, private organizations, and individuals.
Clear and open public dialogue during the development of any plan and the assessment
of alternative implementation approaches is invaluable to the planning process.
Presentation techniques alone do not ensure efficient and productive public involvement.
Thorough exploration of issues helps develop a broad understanding of alternative planning
responses available to the community. It also helps promote public confidence in the
results of the planning process.
The explicit
inclusion of the public in the planning process, through public visioning and alternatives
workshops, project newsletters, public hearings,
focus groups and surveys, is integral to
formulating a plan
that reflects the community's vision, increasingthe
public's awareness of the need for the planning effort,
educating the public about technical requirements and potential
impacts, identifying the social and political context for
decisions, developing a positive constituency for the planning
program, and helping ensure adoption and implementation.
PJA is committed to insuring full and meaningful
public participation in the planning process, and can assist clients with the following
services:
- Developing and managing public
involvement strategies and the visioning process;
- Providing research that helps
establish the visioning initiative;
- Facilitating public forums,
workshops and meetings as part of the visioning process;
and
- Designing and
facilitating citizen dialogues.
