ABSTRACT
This chapter examines community participation in Singapore and Seoul to provide a comparative angle, particularly in the context of neighbourhood planning. Participatory planning advocates and scholars have argued that community participation can contribute to different aspects of a cohesive community such as social capital, social networks, attachment to a place, and a sense of ownership. The Seoul metropolitan government only recently started incorporating 'grassroots participation as an important part of its urban policy'. In March 2012, Seoul overhauled its administrative organisation supporting the Neighbourhood Community Projects (NCPs). The changing approaches to urban development in Singapore and Seoul indicate growing interest in placing more emphasis on a community-based, participatory process in creating liveable neighbourhoods. The recent move in Singapore and Seoul towards a more inclusive and participatory leadership style contrasts sharply with the authoritarian posture seen during the early 'developmental city' phase of urban development.
