This article by Judith Innes and David Booher from Planning Theory & Practice opens with the statement:

"It is time to face facts we know, but prefer to ignore. Legally required methods of public participation in government decision making in the US—public hearings, review and comment procedures in particular—do not work. They do not achieve genuine participation in planning or other decisions; they do not satisfy members of the public that they are being heard; they seldom can be said to improve the decisions that agencies and public officials make; and they do not incorporate a broad spectrum of the public. Worse yet, these methods often antagonize the members of the public who do try to work with them. The methods often pit citizens against each other, as they feel compelled to speak of the issues in polarizing terms to get their points across. This pattern makes it even more difficult for decision makers to sort through what they hear, much less to make a choice using public input. Most often these methods discourage busy and thoughtful individuals from wasting their time going through what appear to be nothing more than rituals designed to satisfy legal requirements. They also increase the ambivalence of planners and other public officials about hearing from the public at all. Nonetheless, these methods have an almost sacred quality to them, and they stay in place despite all that everyone knows is wrong with them."

Continue reading the article here.

The Soul of the Community study offers new insights by exploring what draws people to a community and what makes them want to put down roots and build a life. Conducted by Gallup in 26 communities and funded the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the study probes the emotional factors that bind people to place.

In this, the second year of the research, the results show an even stronger correlation between people's passion and loyalty for their community and local economic growth. Researchers will examine this connection further in 2010. More information can be found at: http://www.soulofthecommunity.org/

A new research report is available providing insights into how public engagement initiatives can grow into a regular practice involving people from many different parts of a community and spanning multiple issues. This report argues that the most successful of civic engagement efforts are those that address not only particular public issues such as school redistricting, domestic violence, or racism, but also improve the quality of local democratic governance. The report features concrete examples of sustained community-led dialogue and problem solving efforts that draw upon different approaches to public deliberation.

Read Sustaining Public Engagement: Embedded Deliberation in Local Communities produced in collaboration by Everyday Democracy and the Kettering Foundation.

This is a new space where we will be posting news, updates and opportunities in the public involvement arena.  What types of information would you like to see here? Let us know!