ABSTRACT
In this chapter I explore how two cultural groups living, working, and planning together conceived of participation in the development of the community's first public planning process. I analyze how differences between social groups shaped participatory planning activities in the Distrito de Monteverde, a region located high on the Pacific slope in Costa Rica. Settled in the mid-1900s by Costa Rican farmers (campesinos) and expatriated US Quakers, the once isolated cloud forest is home to an increasingly rich mosaic of people from various class, ethnic, national, and religious backgrounds. Along with these residents, thousands of tourists visit the region. Rapid development and corresponding population growth to support this tourism now threatens the area's sustainability.
