Course overview
Community engagement has become crucial in governance, policy development, and service delivery in recent years. Efforts to involve citizens often suffer from misunderstandings and poor technique selection. Delving into the politics of planning, definitions of 'community,' and the tension between local and professional knowledge, students will critically examine the conceptual issues and explore why citizen involvement in planning and policymaking matters. Students will analyse various citizen engagement types, design effective public participation programs, and learn approaches to evaluating community engagement initiatives.