Discussion Question For 12/7

Your reading assignments for this week are:

Judith Innes and David Booher, “Reframing Public Participation: Strategies for the 21st Century,” Planning Theory 5(4), 419-436 (2004). On Blackboard
Susan Fainstein, “New directions in planning theory.” In the class text, Readings in Planning Theory (chapter 9)

These two readings are in dialogue with one another.  Fainstein promotes her idea of the “just city” by critiquing the communicative action model of planning, which Innes is a proponent of, and which underlies Innes’ suggestions for public participation strategies. These two readings will help us spring-board off the memoing assignment you are handing in at the beginning of class with the integrative themes for our last session together.

Your blog question for this week:

What, if anything, surprised you about the planning meeting that you attended? Do the implications and recommendations in your memo corroborate or challenge any of Innes and Booher’s arguments about public participation, and if so, how? Now think about their recommendations—alternative practice framework, creating forums and arenas, etc.—from Fainstein’s perspective of achieving a “just city”. Is the agenda that Innes and Booher suggest the right one? Why or why not?