Outsourcing Neighborhood Planning Processes? A Case Study of a Nonprofit in the City of Oklahoma City

Abstract

Nonprofits are key in local community development and often work in tandem with or against municipal governments in neighborhood planning. We focus on a unique case of a local government that largely contracts neighborhood planning processes to a nonprofit in Oklahoma City. Using thirty-nine interviews with municipal staff, nonprofit employees, and stakeholders, we examine the benefits and consequences of this contracting relationship on participatory processes. The findings reveal that the nonprofit excels at grassroots resident engagement but also faces constraints due to contract benchmarks. The findings offer implications on co-creating subcontractor goals and disparate neighborhood planning service outcomes.