Pathways towards Citizen Participation: Insights on Community Planning in Cambodian Cities

Abstract

Looking for ways to influence public-policy and decision-making processes in com-munity planning have been debated at great length (e.g., see Arnstein, 1969; Douglass, 1992; Friedmann, 1992; Socha, 1997). Recently, an approach that has gained more widespread use is citizen engagement in deliberation (Mathews and McAfee, 2002). Community deliberation is seen to build on traditional models of public participation by advancing a richer form of citizen involvement in governance processes (Lukensmeyer, 2003). In order to provide some insights into community planning, this paper runs through the following themes: What does community deliberation produce and does this product make communities more effective? And To what extent can deliberation play a role in planning for participation in community planning in Cambodia? In an-swering these questions, I will first look at the concept of deliberation. Then, I will review some theories of community participation in developed countries; and juxta-pose these with theories and practices of community participation in Cambodia to un-derstand the central issues and dilemmas in planning for participation in community planning. A conclusion, including suggestions and recommendations for future plan-ning for community development, is then drawn.