An evaluation of civil society participation in collaborative land use planning in British Columbia

Collaborative planning seeks to involve all stakeholders in the decision-making process to achieve balanced solutions for the benefit of all. A key stakeholder group in collaborative planning is civil society, defined as the stakeholders who do not have a direct pecuniary interest in decision-making. Participation by civil society in collaborative planning is essential to ensure full consideration of the public interest. The purpose of the research is to identify the barriers, incentives, and lessons for civil society in the collaborative planning approach to land use decision-making in British Columbia.; This report examines the evolution of collaborative planning in the province over the last few decades. Building on a study by Frame, Day, and Gunton (2002, the responses of 250 stakeholders in seventeen Land and Resource Management Planning processes in British Columbia that took place from 1992 to 2002 are analyzed. Participant responses are examined by applying criteria to evaluate collaborative processes and outcomes. Results suggest support for collaborative planning over other approaches to land use planning because the benefits realized by the stakeholders outweigh the challenges that they experienced, especially for less empowered stakeholders such civil society.; The greatest barriers for civil society stakeholders are time commitments, financial resources required for effective participation, and the power imbalances that may be exist. However, survey results show that civil society participants support collaborative planning because they provides unique opportunities for stakeholders to present ideas within an equitable and respectful environment.; This report recommends that stakeholders from civil society who enter into collaborative land use planning clearly understand the constraints and opportunities, and that they are adequately prepare to participate in processes that can often be arduous. Furthermore, governments must show a strong commitment to collaborative land use planning processes by providing adequate funding and support for all stakeholders.