Ethics, Values and the Role of Planners in Engaging their Communities: Evidence from Planners in Colorado

Siohan, Marine

4. Term

Urban, Energy and Environmental Planning, Master

2011

2011-06-01

95 pages

In the context of rapidly evolving societies, public participation in public affairs and more particularly in urban planning has become a guiding principle for renewed governance. Planners who are in charge of implementing public involvement strategies in practice are on the front line for finding efficient and satisfactory ways to do so. Their professional activity demands that they make critical choices and ethical judgments in regard to citizens and stakeholders who participate in the process and the space given to them in the debate. This project looks into the ethical and moral values guiding planners into the engagement of their communities in public planning. The main evidence base was created during a series of interviews with planners in Colorado, USA, between January and April 2011, in order to address the research question formulated in this report. This led to identifying a set of seven ethical and moral value themes, which planners who actively engage in collaborative planning might rely on: working for the public good; advancing fairness and justice; focusing on the right decision-making process; engaging in an open conversation; being accountable to the public; caring about the transparency of the decision-making process; being dedicated and optimistic.

ethics ; values ; planners ; public participation ; community engagement

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