Advocacy vs. collaboration: Comparing inclusionary community planning models

Two approaches to community planning in the United States, advocacy planning and collaborative planning, are compared and evaluated with respect to their ability to empower community residents. Advocates claim they each provide opportunities for residents and their organizations to have meaningful input into decisions made about their communities. However, the approaches differ in the ways in which citizen voice is heard. Two case studies in Chicago, Illinois are used to demonstrate the application, use and limitations of each. Attention is paid to how citizens’ views and aspirations were incorporated in each of the planning situations and how the final outcomes were affected. The paper concludes with comments about conditions under which the two approaches may be effective tools for citizen involvement and community empowerment.