What enabling factors contribute to good practice? 

A Strong Legal Basis. Laws cannot guarantee good public participation in urban planning, but a strong regulatory framework can help ensure its legality. According to the UN-Habitat Planning Law Assessment Framework (UN-Habitat 2018), high-quality urban laws are characterized by:

1) Coherence and consistency- minimizing ambiguity in interpretation and application; 

2) Reflecting local context, including needs, challenges, and advantages; 

3) Clarity of the processes as well as the roles of institutions; and

4) Flexibility and simplicity- Over-rigid and complicated rules discourage implementation. 

Leadership Support. When leaders support public participation, they demonstrate their commitment and encourage community involvement. Support from higher levels of administration can:

1) provide legitimacy of, and set the tone for, the inclusive process; 

2) mobilize resources such as funding, staff, and time; and 

3) build trust and confidence in the planning process.  

Planning Capacity. This refers to the ability of planners to effectively engage with the public, including knowledge, skills, resources, and infrastructures. This also means that officials and planners have the will to extend participation beyond the minimum specified by the legislation and to build consensus with compromise. This also involves long-term support from professional associations and agencies through knowledge sharing and research. 

Financial Resource. Adequate financial resources provide the necessary funding to support the engagement of the public in the planning process. Specifically, they fund outreach and engagement, staffing, technology, translation/interpretation, accessibility features for participants with disabilities, and transportation/accommodation. Paid participation can be beneficial in the urban planning process, because it potentially increases the number of participants, especially from marginalized community members, and recognizes the value of the participant’s contribution. Paid participation should be used with caution and transparency regarding who is being paid and for what (compensation can be in the form of non-monetary incentives).

Robust Civil Groups. Strong community organizations, especially those representing disadvantaged populations, are important. Civil society groups are especially critical when they have appropriate knowledge, life experiences, and organizational capacity to effectively participate in and influence the planning process. The groups can represent diverse perspectives, advocate with accountability, offer expertise and knowledge in specific areas, and collaborate with institutes and other organizations to synergize planning efforts.

Healthy Relationships. Good planning practices foster productive relationships between institutions/government and local community-based groups and with community representatives who might not be official members of any particular group but have stakes in the process. When civil society groups feel that the government is open and transparent, they are more likely to get involved in the process and respect the planning decisions, and pool resources and expertise to achieve common goals. 

Empowerment. This refers to a mechanism in which public input has an impact on important decisions, such as prioritization and budgeting, and participants have the resource and power to bargain for their interests. In other words, people have a genuine voice in the decisions that affect their lives. Empowerment enhances a sense of ownership, improves social justice/equity, and contributes to sustainable development.