Planning With Citizens: Two Styles

Abstract
This article compares two planning orientations and their impact on the development of an urban renewal plan for Boston's South End from 1961 to 1965. Research showed that the first planner implicitly adopted a “power elite model” of planning while the second planner adopted a “pluralistic model.” This study found that use of these two orientations, or models, had a major influence on four aspects of planning: (1) planning process; (2) planner's use of influence; (3) citizen groups with whom the planner primarily worked; and (4) planner's relationship with central office. It was also concluded that the nature of the produced plan differed as a consequence of the planning style used.