Theory and practice in community leisure planning: A focus on public participation

Abstract

The relationship between theory and practice in community leisure planning is examined in this paper. The question is asked, “does the recreation practice employ the results of, and consequently, resemble the scholarly research on public participation in the planning process?” Three community leisure plans were analysed to achieve the purpose noted above. Additionally, the research method also included interviews with the consultants who undertook the plans as well as the clients or recreation directors in each of the research communities. While a variety of public participation techniques were employed in the planning processes investigated, they were mostly technical and practical rather than critical‐emancipatory in nature. Given the shrinkage in resources being experienced by local governments and the changing relationships between senior levels of government and the local community, leisure practitioners and planners may need to become more conversant with, and engage a wider variety of public participation objectives in their leisure practice in the future.