Transformative Community Planning: Empowerment through Community Development

Political Capital Conceptualization: Reclaiming the Heart of Democracy

“…Kennedy's criteria for success include: (i) power and control "vested in community members"; the number of people who have moved "from being an object of planning to being a subject"; (ii) ability of people involved in the planning process to replicate their achievements in other situations" and, (iii) "movement towards realizing values of equity and inclusion" (Kennedy, 1996). These criteria could also be treated as indicators for building political capital (Turner 1999, 21-22).…”

“…This paradox yields split views on from where a solution should come. For Kennedy (1996), a group can "empower itself by increasing its ability to achieve its own interests", i.e. the solution is in the hand of the needy.…”

Planning in Neighborhoods with Multiple Publics: Opportunities and Challenges for Community-Based Nonprofit Organizations

“…SPAN and CSWA rejected the narrow parameters of DCP and CB 7's rezoning study and encouraged a broader planning process for greater equity in agenda setting and transformation in the economic and political power relationships that define neoliberal city planning practices. Nonprofit organizations, specifically worker centers and community activist organizations, focus on transformative populism defined as building capacity and skill in marginalized communities rather than redistributive populism (Kennedy 1996). This Latino-Chinese alliance has developed a set of demands for a more comprehensive approach to neighborhood planning and greater equity in development outcomes by setting realistic income guidelines for mandatory inclusionary housing provisions, by locating underutilized and potential development sites such as the air rights over subway tracks for neighborhood expansion, and by pointing out the limitations of community board representation.…”

Doing the groundwork? transferring a UK environmental planning approach to Japan

“…GW was also underpinned by a partnership model that involved trying to get the public, private and voluntary sectors working together and crucially to co-fund projects. The concept of Groundwork centred on transformative engagement with locality, where both people and spaces are in some way "improved" and ties between people and place are strengthened to enhance environmental, social and human capital (Kennedy, 1996;Rydin & Pennington, 2000;Selman, 2001).…”

“…The Groundwork conceptual framework invokes ideas of networking and partnership with an emphasis on the processual benefits of community activity, as well as the benefits of physical improvement or otherwise tangible outputs (Kennedy, 1996;Rydin & Pennington, 2000). This approach has been challenging and despite the achievements of GW there have been some difficulties (DETR, 2000).…”