Assessing the Effectiveness of Public Participation in Neighbourhood Planning

Public participation is important to local planning outcomes but is seldom systematically evaluated using effectiveness criteria. This study evaluates the effectiveness of public participation using the Sherwood-Graceville Neighbourhood Plan in Brisbane as a case study. Effective participation criteria, both process and outcome, were identified from the planning literature and operationalized in a survey of participants. Results indicate that outcome criteria were most important to participants; the participation process was ineffective and ultimately failed to influence local planning decisions. We discuss the implications of participation effectiveness in a planning context where regional plans potentially conflict with local community aspirations.