Participatory planning

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Participatory planning is an urban planning paradigm that seeks to involve the community of an area in the urban planning of that area. Its goal is to allow communities to work together to identify and address problems and to create a plan to achieve a desired socio-economic goal. Participatory planning emerged in response to the centralized and rationalistic approaches that defined early urban planning work.^[1]

The importance of participatory planning is that it ensures the planning process reflects the interests and priorities of all major groups in the community. It also helps to build commitment to translating the plan into action.^[2] It has become an influential way of approaching both traditional urban planning and international community development.^[3]

There are several approaches to and theories about participatory planning. Consensus building and collective decision making is usually emphasized, and the inclusion of traditionally marginalized groups in the planning process is also often prioritized.^[4]