People-Centered Community Planning

Abstract

Citizens, scholars, and planners have criticized various aspects of planning practice. The traditionally dominant approach, rational synoptic planning, has been characterized as overly rational, simplistic/reductionistic, elitist, and essentially supportive of existing power relationships in societies, organizations, and communities. Critiques have focused on the implicit values of this planning model, its consequences for lesspowerful groups, and the problems encountered during plan implementation. People-centered community planning is proposed as an alternative to rational synoptic planning. People-centered planning borrows liberally from other approaches, especially Friedmann's (1973) transactive planning, Dunn's (1971) social learning, and Habermas's (1976) critical theory. People-centered planning unites participatory planning with population-specific planning.