ABSTRACT
This chapter considers current policy approaches to community participation and their relevance to the development of the Thames Gateway ‘project’.1 The intention of central government is that community participation will improve strategic planning, service delivery, and social cohesion, and that the benets gained from these improvements will be sustainable. It is envisaged that participation by communities will enable disadvantaged localities within the Thames Gateway area to be revitalised, and for the planned new communities to be integrated into the area to create a socially vibrant and economically thriving region.
