Technical Assistance for Citizen Participation: A Case Study of New York City’s Environmental Planning Process
Title:
Technical Assistance for Citizen Participation: A Case Study of New York City’s Environmental Planning Process
Authors:
Nevin Cohen
Summary:
American Review of Public Administration, 25(2): 119-135; 1995
Recommended Audience: Public administrators, government officials, technical consultants.
Principal Topic: Providing technical assistance to citizen advisory committees to promote public participation in environmental decision-making.
Review: Ensuring public participation in environmental decision-making is advantageous to government officials and to the general public. Technical assistance can make participation more effective by enabling citizens to understand complex technologies. This paper examines whether providing technical assistance has made a difference. This paper reports on two case studies in New York City. Its conclusions suggest that technical assistance to citizens advisory groups can enable citizens to understand complex environmental issues but may not ensure or promote public consensus or acceptance.
Implications: The paper may be useful to civic officials and public administrators when deciding to provide technical assistance to citizens advisory committees.