Citizens feel closer to their local town board or city council more than they do to the State or Federal government. I would imagine it is because one might actually see and speak to their local city representative in person, as opposed to a State or Federal representative, who is probably located miles away. In addition, a local project may have more of a direct impact upon the resident. It is easier for the citizen to affect the actions of a town board or a city council than the actions of a state legislature or of Congress. The feeling of potential effectiveness, encourages participation [by individuals] (Levy. 2017, p93-94).
We know that citizens, in their role as voters, are the ultimate power. They have the power to remove the individuals that run the government, be it local or State. Citizens may participate somewhat in the planning process of a project or they may not. There can even be a certain amount of citizen participation organized by the planners themselves. Planners may solicit responses from citizens to garner support, or they may want to gather input for the project. This is done partly to involve the public in planning questions, but also because there may be a legal requirement from federal funding sources, that calls for evidence of organized citizen participation before monies can be disbursed. Additionally, if planners and municipal officials know the requirements for the project have not been met, the project may well be stopped by a procedurally based lawsuit (Levy. 2017 p98).
I would definitely say that there is a disconnect between citizens and local government. Most citizens don’t know about, or just don’t care, about municipal planning projects. This is because the general public only cares about what impacts their lives directly.
For instance, the Roundabout that is being built on Third and Vine streets, while probably a worthwhile project, does not impact or make a difference to the people that live on 22nd and Green streets.
To improve and encourage public participation in Planning, we need to advertise or determine a way to notify the general public of what planning projects are being considered, and what has been approved. We must make sure that the citizens are always kept informed. We must require the use of City Projects and Services reports are always kept online, and departmental reports that can be always be read by the public. This should be done before, during, and after the project.
Reference
Levy, John., 2017, Contemporary Urban Planning. A description of the historical development of Urban Planning for United States cities and suburbs. 2017. Routledge Publishing.
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