Community participation on the fringe of practice

Abstract

This paper discusses the gap between the theoretical discourse of the community and community participation in planning, and how community participation actually functions in a contested urban arena. It focuses on a conflict between the municipality and residents of a neighbourhood in the town of Karmiel in Israel, over an elementary-school building conversion into a Kolel (rabbinical study centre). Archival material, planning and legal documents, and media and personal accounts present the conflicting perspectives of the concept of ‘community’ and its actual use; that is, the institutional against the local viewpoints and how they shape and define planning practices. This case study exemplifies the importance of many voices in the planning arena, particularly those of the local community, and suggests that interdisciplinary collaboration among professionals can expand planning knowledge and input on community participation in contested arenas.