Public Participation

Citizens have the most to gain or lose from the development and allocation of urban spaces, and they should thus be included in the planning and development cycle. This should go beyond tokenism and allow for participation along the lines of deliberative democracy. 

Citizen involvement will deliver more robust and inclusive solutions. City decision-makers should not be afraid of the participation of their citizens. The broader the level of public involvement, the better the results will be on the ground and the wider the acceptance of changes will be. Corporations should never be allowed a stronger voice at the table than citizens. Once the needs of the local population are fully met, citizens will be happy and proud of their city and more likely to safeguard and defend the improvements that have been made.