Community Building in Urban Areas: The Contribution of Community Planning Councils was the title of a presentation first made by NAPC at the annual meeting of The Urban Affairs Association on April 15, 1999.  Former NAPC Board member Peter Stoddard, Ph.D., a professor at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN, wrote the paper, with contributions from NAPC Board members Nancy Findeisen and David Swain, and with input from other Board members.

Stoddard's paper describes the uniqueness of the planning council approach, and gives examples of how councils "have impacts ranging from initiating community involvement in difficult issues, to in effect, being the conscience and moral leadership of the community."

Stoddard explains, "Planning councils are defined primarily by their agency value structures."  Key values include "bringing people around the same table (hearing all views), commitment to change, citizen leadership, inclusiveness (consciousness of diversity), and commitment to democracy."  For planning councils, the approach is not "social planning, done by removed and technical bureaucratic elites;" it depends upon "identifying stakeholders -- anyone involved in an issue and/or contributing to solutions -- and insuring their active participation in defining issues and making decisions."  "Directors of planning councils are strongly aware of the elitist fashion of planning in previous eras and strive to keep that from happening in contemporary planning." 

Councils are known for being engaged in what Stoddard calls "future think"  He notes that, as Findeisen has written, future success will depend on "developing a perspective which understands the past, comprehends the present, and envisions the future.  This new thinking will require consideration of four factors important for community building:  long-term commitment and investment of resources; emphasis on process as well as product; utilizing a systems approach; and creating mediating institutions" (a role councils often fill effectively).

Stoddard writes, "Inclusiveness is a broad value for planning councils.  It always starts with the citizen and the client/consumer group.  It also includes who would deliver services in a program, members of affected neighborhoods, visionaries in the community, and people and agencies with resources ... Councils motivate people who would be reluctant to involve themselves, shepherd people in the process, and utilize patience in involving as many people as possible in projects that require longer and longer time spans for completion."  The council approach avoids unrealistic "quick fix" solutions which overlook the complexity and interrelatedness of problems or which neglect to engage people and organizations whose involvement is essential to the achievement of real and lasting improvements. 

"Contemporary planning councils accomplish their goals predominantly utilizing three methods:  research and information collection and dissemination, coalition formation and planning, and organizational support and technology assistance."  Council activities related to research and information collection and dissemination frequently include service directories, surveys to determine the nature and magnitude of problems, social indicators of community well-being, tools communities can use to monitor progress, environmental scans and needs assessments, and reports on social conditions.  "Coalition formation, leading to planning is a method based on bringing stakeholder groups together to identify and explore issues of growing concern to the community, debating possible solutions, and finally coming to a plan of action."  Coalitions create a shared vision; councils provide them with the organizational support and assistance through which they can translate that vision into effective action to positively impact their community.  "This process not only does social planning, but at the same time builds a sense of community among the participants" -- an important community asset.  Effective community building creates "social capital:  relationships, processes for constructive problem solving, and a sense of shared responsibility."

"Planning councils have provided both a model and an important process for the community ... Councils' main contributions appear to be the value-added component to the development of a community's social infrastructure, and the concept of leadership through coalition ... Councils seek out issues, mobilize the community, and create movement toward increased social capacity and a more equitable infrastructure for all."  

For more on the council approach to community planning, please see "Community Planning" and "Planning Councils" on the NAPC website.

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