Gushue, Kelle, "The Anatomy of Public Participation in the Planning Process: A Case Study of the Outer Ring Road Project, St. John's, Newfoundland"

Public demand for greater involvement in decision-making continues to grow, and planners are increasingly faced with resolving conflicts in the planning process. It can be argued and demonstrated that better use of the public participation process can assist in resolving these conflicts.

The example chosen for analysis is the plan to construct a circumferential arterial route, the Outer Ring Road, to the northeast of the City of St. John's in Newfoundland. The general objective of the research is to examine the conflicts that have arisen over the project and to illustrate how the public participation process has, in this case, failed to resolve those conflicts.

This research documents the evolution of public interest and involvement and the nature and effectiveness of the public participation methods used to attempt to resolve conflicts in the context of a specific highway planning case study, the Outer Ring Road project. The concluding section clearly illustrates the need to develop effective participation processes and procedures if conflicts over planning issues are to be avoided, minimised or resolved.

Atlantic Planners Institute

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This document was last modified on January 3, 2001.