Citizen participation has received increased attention since the 1950s

Question

Citizen participation has received increased attention since the 1950s, with the underlying assumption that if citizens become actively involved as participants in their democracy, the governance that emerges from this process will be more democratic and more effective. Indeed, participation is considered to be a crucial element in our democratic process, capable of holding the government accountable to the public and, in the case of urban planning, creating an appropriate vision to guide development.

Engaging a diverse citizenry in long-term planning is frequently problematic as disadvantaged communities often experience barriers to participation, including language barriers, time restraints, lack of adequate knowledge of political systems, and lack of politically favorable relationships with those in power, among others. Moreover, the traditional model of planning can be daunting: planners often use jargon and theory that may be inaccessible to community members, and typical timelines for implementation exceed any relevant temporal horizon for many  young residents and renters.

Despite the challenges associated with engaging diverse stakeholders in planning, studies suggest that inclusive processes may contribute to the creation of more robust plans with a greater likelihood of long-term success in both implementation and sustainability. Research has found that mandates requiring local governments to solicit public involvement resulted in enhanced citizen participation, while also affecting the level to which planners and city officials considered public input when designing planning policies and procedures. Research further suggests that participation of a broad swath of community members can strengthen engagement in the democratic process and enhance support for local government. Moreover, culturally appropriate engagement of diverse audiences can encourage ongoing participation in implementation of development plans and improve communication between experts and community members.

However, if public plans are designed using an inclusive process but are inequitable or inept in their execution, community members may be nominally engaged in the short term but fail to be engaged meaningfully in the long term. Participatory planning should not only seek to understand and articulate community differences but also provide inventive ways for interaction and negotiation of competing visions, interests, values, and identities. To ensure effective and comprehensive implementation of a community plan, research suggests that the development of relationships between and amongst members of existing local networks is essential. Consensus building requires developing relationships among diverse stakeholders to facilitate understanding and to improve the quality of decision-making. Innes notes that consensus building “requires a full range of stakeholders, meaningfulness to participants, mutual understanding, dialogue with equal opportunity to participate, self-organization, and accessible information.”    1 
 1. It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following would be a disadvantage associated with the traditional model of urban planning?

A. Mixing urban groups unaccustomed to relating to each other often creates more conflicts than it solves.
B. Members of disadvantaged communities often cannot afford the expenses associated with attending urban planning meetings.
C. Often, those asked to attend urban planning sessions choose not to because the sessions’ goals conflict with their political beliefs.
D. The terminology used to convey planning goals is incomprehensible to some citizens.
E. The lack of clear deadlines frustrates many participants.

2  
 2. In the final paragraph of the passage, the author is concerned primarily with

A. answering critics who argue that the planning process is irretrievably flawed
B. arguing that most urban planners are prone to ineptitude and incompetence
C. suggesting that community members ultimately will fail to stay involved with the planning process
D. discussing the advantages and disadvantages of participatory planning
E. warning that mere involvement in a process must be accompanied by competent execution and providing examples of that execution

3  
 3. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as a method by which to improve the urban planning process?

A. including as many people as possible from the community in the planning process
B. attempting to resolve community differences as they arise
C. facilitating new ways by which different groups can discuss their goals
D. dispersing existing local networks in favor of a more cohesive, unified group
E. ignoring cultural difference in the engagement process so as to create a more equitable way to participate

4  
 4.    According to the passage, which of the following can be inferred about the “young residents and renters” ( Highlighted )? 
 
  Indicate  all    that apply. 
 
 A. Some young residents and renters will not live in the community long enough to see the results of certain planning projects.
B. Young residents and renters often cannot afford to take time out of their schedules to participate in planning processes.
C. Though young residents and renters are among the hardest groups to involve in the planning process, their involvement is especially important.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following would be a disadvantage associated with the traditional model of urban planning?

The author, by saying that planners  “often use jargon and theory that may be inaccessible to community members,”  is communicating that sometimes these members cannot comprehend the planners, making it more difficult for citizens to participate in the planning process since they don’t understand some of the terms being used. 
 
  Answer: D

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. In the final paragraph of the passage, the author is concerned primarily with

In the beginning of the last paragraph, the author cautions that if an urban planning process is not well executed, then even if it is inclusive, it will not be effective in the long term. He then provides methods by which the process can be better executed. 
 
  Answer: E

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

3. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as a method by which to improve the urban planning process?

In the last paragraph, the author suggests that participatory planning  “provide inventive ways for interaction and negotiation,”  therefore suggesting that planners should create new ways for different groups to discuss issues important to them. 
 
  Answer: C

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

4.     According to the passage, which of the following can be inferred about the “young residents and renters” ( Highlighted )?

By saying that timelines for creation of planning projects sometimes  “exceed any relevant temporal horizon”  for young residents and renters, it can be inferred that a planning project will not be relevant to someone if he is no longer living in the community where it takes place. 
 
  Answer: A

Citizen participation has received increased attention since the 1950s

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