PROMOTING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN DEVELOPMENT PLANS

The Prospect for Sustainable Greater Khartoum

Abstract

Public participation (PP) is important and means more to the citizens,  hence is not only about development plans, but also about lives and  livelihoods. It is offers citizens a perspective of their future, health,  destiny, and community. As a result, PP encouraged an innovative  process, that guarantees the efficiency of sustainable development plans,  and promotes a sustainable new way of living in community. Sustainable  development plans demand an increasing role of PP, within the frame of  efficiency of sustainable planning process. Development plans in Greater  Khartoum (GK), should perform a methodological process that is to be  structured over distinct sequence stages, providing the development of  continuous interactive, integrated and participative planning. The  process of involving the public makes the results more relevant to the  population’s needs, and creates a livable city. In fact, participation  provides local knowledge and thus makes the planner decisions more  appropriate to local specificities. This paper states a short history of  public participation in development plans. The history seeks to challenge  the profession’s view of participation, as simply the public processes  designed and controlled by planners. Also it suggests a methodology for  sustainable development plan (SDP) in GK.