ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the nature of the 'opening up' of planning to new economic actors and civil society in Cuba. It assesses the role of public participation in the redefinition of Cuba's transitional socialist model of governance. The chapter claims that the institutional redesign carried out in the 1990s by the government is fostering real public involvement in governance. It argues that the reforms of the 1990s are simply recasting the socialist rhetoric of centralised governance. In La Corea, microbrigade experiences were useful to tie social bonds between local residents and increase the community's social capital. The chapter reviews the recent developments in planning theory, such as the move towards 'collaborative planning' and the emphasis on 'social capital'. It highlights the major economic and administrative reforms carried out in Cuba in the 1990s. The chapter examines the experience of urban pilot projects as examples of public participation in planning.
