Learning from Arnstein's Ladder: From Citizen Participation to Public Engagement

Sherry Arnstein, writing in 1969 about citizen involvement in planning processes in the United States, described a “ladder of citizen participation” that showed participation ranging from low to high. Arnstein depicted the failings of typical participation processes at the time and characterized aspirations toward engagement that have now been elevated to core values in planning practice. But since that time, the political, economic, and social context has evolved greatly, and planners, organizers, and residents have been involved in planning and community development practice in ways previously unforeseen.

Learning from Arnstein’s Ladder draws on contemporary theory, expertise, empirical analysis, and practical applications in what is now more commonly termed public engagement in planning to examine the enduring impacts of Arnstein’s work and the pervasive challenges that planners face in advancing meaningful public engagement. This book presents research from throughout the world, including Australia, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Portugal, Serbia, and the United States, among others, that utilizes, critiques, revises, and expands upon Arnstein’s aspirational vision. It is essential reading for educators and students of planning.

Mickey Lauria is a Professor of City and Regional Planning and Director of the transdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Planning, Design, and the Built Environment at Clemson University. He has served as President of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning and has edited the Journal of Planning Education and Research and co-edited Town Planning Review while serving on the editorial boards of four planning research journals. He has published articles on urban schooling, community-based development organizations, urban redevelopment, and the politics of planning in planning, geography, and urban studies journals. His recent research interests include professional planners’ ethical frameworks, neighborhood conditions and planning issues involving race and class, and conservation easements and affordable housing. He has taught and researched planning issues throughout the United States and in Australia and Europe including Austria, England, France, Italy, and Poland.

Carissa Schively Slotterback is a Professor and Dean of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research is focused on stakeholder engagement and decision-making in environmental and land use planning. She has led a number of initiatives focused on interdisciplinary and engaged research and education, including co-founding and directing the Resilient Communities Project, which builds community–university partnerships to advance sustainability. She also previously served as Director of Research Engagement in the University of Minnesota’s Office of the Vice President for Research, where she created and implemented multiple initiatives to advance collaborative and engaged research within the university and with external partners. She is the Vice President/President-Elect of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning and was inducted in 2018 as a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners.