CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN URBAN POLICY by CHARLES

Citizen Participation in Urban Policy by Charles E. Hillman Submitted to the Department of Urban Studies and Planning on May 9, 1974 in partial fufillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science. Citizen participation has always been a hallowed concept in our form of liberal democracy. It not only legitimizes the political process but is also a strong force for citizen education. If properly implemented, participation can be a constructive component of the local planning process. There has been a trend in urban government towards the professionalism of reform. One unfortunate result of this has been a decline in responsiveness to the needs and desires of the urban citizenry. Ostensibly desirable public projects have been met, after substantial-expenditures in planning and design, with severe citizen dissatisfaction. This distortion of priorities and subsequent waste of resources can be alleviated by a better reading of needs through increased citizen participation. The evolution of the participatory concept is traced and the reasons for the success or failure of past attempts are identified. A case study of successful citizen participation in transportation planning is given. The final analysis suggests ways to increase the benefit and minimize the disutility of citizen participation in urban policy formulation. Thesis Supervisor: Justin Gray Title: Lecturer of Urban Studies and Planning