A Participatory Planning Approach to Enhancing a Historically Black University–Community Partnership: The Case of the e-City Initiative

Little is known about the involvement of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in university–community partnerships. This article describes the planning process in a partnership, named the e-City Initiative, between Jackson State University and its surrounding community. The article highlights the role of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning faculty in facilitating greater participation and decision-making of e-City inhabitants in the planning process. It provides the voice of residents, business owners and other stakeholders living, learning and working in e-City neighborhoods. The article concludes with observations about HBCU university–community partnerships involved in revitalization that engender citizen participation and social justice, and offers suggestions for increasing HBCU public scholarship in the planning and service learning literatures.