Planning for Possibility

Opening Democracy in an Ordinary City

Bibliographic Data

ID2370109
AuthorsDavid Overfelt (Rochester Institute of Technology, corresponding author)
Year2013
Volume39
Issue4
Pages593-613
Publication date2013-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCritical Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0896-9205 • E-ISSN: 1569-1632
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0896920512454752
OpenAlexW2316035557
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited27

This article discusses a participatory planning process that opened democratic possibilities in Columbia, MO and argues that similar processes can and should be utilized to encourage broader participation in the public sphere. While grassroots participation is ideal, communities can use the language of dialogue and deliberation to turn instrumental processes toward more democratic outcomes. In the concluding remarks the author discusses both implications for research and the methods of political process organization that can help to create just and equal spaces

Citizen journalism · Deliberation · Deliberative democracy · Democracy · Grassroots · Participatory democracy · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Public sphere · Sociology · Law · Public Administration · Public Policy and Administration Research · Urban Planning and Governance · Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies