Achieving Legitimacy Through Deliberative Plan-Making Processes—Lessons for Metropolitan Strategic Planning

Abstract

Deliberative democracy literature and the theory of “enlarged thought” posit that inclusive stakeholder engagement processes allow a broader perspective on planning challenges to emerge, increasing the legitimacy of metropolitan strategic plans. However, it is often argued that the knowledge that is generated through such processes is constrained by the fragmentation of the plan-making process. This paper examines the interaction between process design, enlarged thought, and legitimacy in metropolitan plan-making processes, using examples of engagement techniques from Greater Perth and Greater Vancouver. It argues that the unique knowledge contribution of the professional planner is vital to the development of enlarged thought.

Keywords:

• Deliberative democracy
• enlarged thought
• knowledge
• legitimacy
• strategic planning

Acknowledgements

The author thanks the Australasian Centre for the Governance and Management of Urban Transport at the University of Melbourne, Australia, for the financial support to conduct this research, and Professor Nicholas Low and Dr Alan March for their supervision. The author also thanks the anonymous referees for their generous feedback.