ABSTRACT
Nearly 50 years after the publication of key works emphasising the reciprocal benefits of public participation for both planners and communities, little progress has been made. The reasons for this are complex, relating to the increasingly constrained position of participation in planning, the ways in which community opposition is understood, and the overwhelming emphasis on consensus. This chapter argues that despite these limitations, planning theory and practice should continue to address these challenges, not only for communities, but also in order to challenge the declining significance of planning in public policy.
