Community participation is an important aspect of South African government policies that deal with integrated development planning and sustainable development. This report presents aspects of community participation in infrastructure delivery and in particular housing in Reeston which is part of the Duncan Village Redevelopment Initiative in East London area of the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. The importance of community participation is acknowledged as it enhances the ability of the community members to demonstrate and use their own views to deal with specific issues and to address the needs and problems that emerge and prevail in their societies. The two emerging paradigms of community participation suggest that the participating communities should be involved in the ‘selection, design, planning and implementation’ of projects that will have an effect on them and from which they are going to benefit ; and that continuous feedback to communities forms a fundamental part of any development activity. This report explores how the “Breaking New Ground in Housing” (BNG) policy of the South African Government meets its objectives in the context of community participation.

Purpose of this treatise- This Paper aims to investigate the Sustainability of Health Facility Committees in the Nelson Mandela Bay Health District. Design/methodology/approach – This study consists of a literature review and a pilot study. Qualitative research approach was used in order to obtain descriptive data from the targeted group. The primary sources of data collection the researcher used were from the members of the committee, health facility manager, chairperson and the health promoter who are members of the health committees. Focus group discussions with health committees were conducted to provide rich in-depth data. Literature and journal articles were also used to provide secondary data to corroborate findings. Research limitations- A major limitation to this study is that due to the nature of the nature of the research report it was not possible to assess the sustainability of health Facility Committees from other areas in the Nelson Mandela Bay Health District. Findings-The study has revealed that Community Health committees are sustained by the commitment and passion members have for the work done in the facilities and health committees. The study also revealed that social cohesion plays a major part in the sustainability of Community Health Committees (CHC). Lack of involvement by ward councilors, support from the Health Department, uncertainty of responsibilities by the health committees and limited skills were indicated as major setbacks threatening the sustainability of Community Health Committees. It can thus be concluded that these limitations must be properly addressed in order to enable and uphold the sustainability of Community Health Committees. Original/value -So far, there has been limited research which has been undertaken with regards to the subject of Sustainability of Health Facility Committees in Nelson Mandela Bay Health District. This study will aid in enabling a better understanding of what sustains Community Health Committees and the Challenges facing such communities in order to enable individuals and the parties involved to better formulate solutions to overcome these challenges in Nelson Mandela Bay.

The research analyses local participation as it is implemented within the Lilongwe District Council. The study explores decentralisation in the council by examining important facets that contribute to good local governance with a special interest in local participation. The study finds that while local participation is a recognized feature in the decentralisation policy, lack of proper involvement and integration has limited the efficacy of local participation. The neglect of government in conducting local government elections to have ward councillors in place is brought to the fore as a major setback to the implementation of decentralisation reforms. The study therefore notes that decentralisation must not be seen as just a policy goal, with the aim of shifting development to the communities, but as a policy instrument which aims to improve local democracy, efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of social services. In order to achieve this, the study proposes five key recommendations and a proposed model for the attainment of good governance in the Council.

This thesis examines the role of environmental non-government organizations in relation to the role and responsibility of government for wetland conservation in British Columbia. The role of a small community-based environmental organization called the Burns Bog Conservation Society in decisions about Burns Bog, a large privately-owned wetland located in the Lower Mainland, is analyzed. Drawing from a broad range of literature on environmentalism and conservation, the thesis begins with an historical account of the environmental movement, giving a broad view of environmental conservation and the role of environmental organizations. A typology of roles and analytical framework is subsequently derived from a study of environmental non-government organizations involved in managing water resources in British Columbia's Fraser River Basin. Three main roles, advocacy, supplemental and transformative, are discussed as they relate to activities prior to and during the Burns Bog Analysis, a provincially established land use study of Burns Bog. This research found that a small community-based environmental organization, through advocacy, can ensure that ecological integrity is not neglected as a result of poor planning and decision-making. The case study demonstrates that a small environmental organization can pressure governments to broaden their view of land-use and environmental issues, assuring more informed decision-making. An environmental organization can also supplement the regular roles and responsibilities of government, first by supplying a service that government is unable or unwilling to provide, and second by participating in and legitimizing consensus-based decision-making processes. The case study demonstrates how a small environmental organization can provide and review information and participate in creating options and solutions in land-use decisions. Finally, an environmental organization can influence, overtime, the fundamental restructuring of government planning and decision-making processes and transform the way society thinks and operates. The thesis concludes that environmental non-government organizations have an important role to play in ensuring the recognition and conservation of British Columbia's wetlands in government planning and decision-making processes; in informing and educating government and the public about ecological systems and their values; and in counter-balancing strong economic, political and development interests. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Following the 2008/9 global financial crisis and ensuing economic uncertainty, the roll out of austerity politics has seen significant welfare retrenchment and a recalibration of the state-citizen relationship which can arguably be characterised by a process of punitive Neoliberalism. Nevertheless, the impacts of austerity politics are proving to be geographically uneven: spatially, there is significant evidence that the northern and western parts of Britain, particularly towns and cities therein, are especially prone to the punitive impacts of neoliberal austerity politics, while socially, some parts of society (e.g. the young, the disabled) find themselves exposed to the worst effects of austerity. Conducted under the period of a Conservative-Liberal Democrat UK Coalition Government (2010-2015) this thesis starts by considering the degree to which punitive austerity policies are economically necessary or driven by political ideology. Alongside this it determines whether austerity politics is a (re)new(ed) approach to welfare provision and the state-citizen relationship. The empirical parts of the thesis examine the tactics and strategies utilised by those conducting (the state), implementing (welfare providers and employers), and recipients (people and employees) of welfare-to-work policies, before considering what adaptations, innovations, co-operation, resistance and coping strategies are being employed by these stakeholders in response to austerity politics. In the final part, I argue that whilst many of the neoliberalised policies devised by the Coalition Government have been a renewal and reinvention of those already in place, this is part of a broader trend which is marked by the emergence of a more punitive Neoliberalism associated with a work-first welfare regime.

The purpose of this thesis is to look at a non-conventional approach to increasing well-being at the community level. This new approach to development is called community-based economic development (CBED). Interest in CBED has been stimulated both by crises at the local level and by global problems. In Canada the impetus for CBED is attributable to three factors: the dependency of small communities on external factors and the alienation it promotes; a globalizing international economy; and the failure of past Canadian regional development planning policies. Community-based economic development is a new approach that seeks to increase community self-reliance. Many different CBED initiatives are currently operating in various regions, communities, and neighbourhoods across Canada. These CBED initiatives have centred on stimulating local employment and income levels almost exclusively within the formal "monetized" economy. This thesis examines a CBED initiative that operates within the "non-monetized" informal sector called the Local Exchange Trading System (LETS). LETS is a barter network that uses a local currency, "green dollars", to facilitate trading between members. To ascertain if the LETSystem can improve well-being at the local level, this thesis has examined three Canadian LETSYstems: Victoria, Cowichan Valley, and Ottawa. Three central goals of CBED were distilled: increased local control; implementation of an integrated approach to development; and sustainable development. The three LETSystems were then evaluated using the above goals. There are two main findings of this thesis. The first finding is that CBED can be, and presently is being, promoted in the informal sector. The second finding is that the LETSystems three examined, pursued goals similar to those of other CBED initiatives and sought to improve community well-being. The continued promotion of CBED by LETS is subject to two constraints: the novelty of the idea; and the lack of variety of goods and services traded. Nevertheless, there exists additional opportunities for the increased promotion of CBED through LETS, increased community development, and an expanded range of employment opportunities. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Mobility, as the ability among newcomers and citizens to move temporarily and circularly across international borders and between states, has become a pervasive norm for a significant portion of Canada’s population. Despite its pervasive nature and the growing public interest, however, current research has been limited in how Canadian policies are reacting to the ability of citizens and newcomers to move. This thesis seeks to fill that gap by analyzing Canada’s treatment of mobility within and across policies of immigration, citizenship and foreign affairs. An analytical mobility framework is developed to incorporate interdisciplinary work on human migration and these policy domains. Using this framework, an examination of policy developments in each domain in the last decade reveals that they diverge in isolation and from a whole-of-government perspective around the treatment of mobility. In some instances policy accommodates or even embraces mobility, and in others it restricts it.

This thesis is a case study of the Terra Nova lands decision in the Township of Richmond, B.C. which analyses the use of public hearings as a means of public participation in the municipal rezoning aspect of the planning process. A literature review of democratic theories indicated that there is no single accepted theory of democracy or the role of public participation within a democratic society. Classical democratic theory, likened to participatory democracy, outlines the need for widespread public participation in the decision-making process while contemporary democratic theorists critize this as unrealistic in a modern society. Instead, contemporary theorists stress that the role of the public is to create an elected representative government that will decide issues on their behalf. Representative democracy is described according to four principles including: popular control, political equality, effective choice, and majority rule. Public participation in the planning process represents a movement along the democratic continuum from participatory to representative democracy towards a more participatory form of governing. Although the public hearing process has traditionally been viewed as a legitimate means to involve the public in the planning process, it is increasingly being questionned as appropriate. The Terra Nova rezoning public hearings were analysed using the evaluative framework of Glasser, Manty, and Nehman based on six communication characteristics and six participation objectives. The data was collected from the results of interviews with twelve key participants using a pre-designed questionnaire. It was concluded that the Terra Nova public hearing process was inherently flawed in its attempt to provide meaningful public participation in the municipal planning process and also that preceptual differences among the participants accounted for their dissatisfaction with the public hearing process. It was also concluded that the Terra Nova public hearings must be viewed in an historical and political context which indicated that the decision to develop the Terra Nova lands had been made prior to the rezoning hearings with the adoption of the Official Community Plan and that the municipal council members were firmly split along political lines in favour of and opposed to development on the Terra Nova lands. The analysis, however, did not provide a conclusive answer regarding the appropriateness of the public hearings as a means for public participation in the planning process. The answer to this question rests on an individual's position on the continuum of democracy between representation and participation. Nevertheless, recommendations can be made to enhance or supplement the public hearing process to overcome the inherent flaws and perceptual differences thus moving public participation in the municipal planning process closer to participatory democracy. These suggestions include local area planning initiatives and the use of an independent, non-political, rezoning commission. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

I denna studie behandlas frågan om nyanlända och deras bristfälliga roll i dagens samhällsplanering. Dessa individer är en utsatt samhällsgrupp som växer i en oerhörd takt i Sverige och riskerar att inte känna någon tillhörighet i städer om de utesluts ur planeringsprocessen. Syftet med denna studie var således att öka deltagande av nyanlända i medborgardialogen för att tillgodose deras behov och preferenser. Eftersom kommuner spelar en ledande roll i planeringsprocessen beslutades det att målet med studien var att skapa en checklista, som kommuner kan använda sig av för att öka deltagandet av nyanlända i medborgardialogen. För att uppnå detta genomfördes en litteraturgranskning av tidigare studier och arbeten för att upptäcka tillvägagångssätt, metoder och nyckelfaktorer som kan öka deltagandet av nyanlända. Fem stycken svenska kommuner intervjuades hur de arbetar med frågor om nyanlända i medborgardialogen. Responsen påvisade att kommuner arbetar med dessa frågor till viss del och att samtliga upplevde ett mycket lågt deltagande av nyanlända i dagens planering. De deltagande kommunerna validerade nyckelfaktorerna. Detta bidrog till slutsatsen att checklistan är tämligen komplett men att fler nyckelfaktorer hade givit en mer nyttig påverkan. Eftersom reaktionen av kommunerna pekar på att de funna nyckelfaktorerna är centrala för frågan om nyanlända ses studiens checklista som högst användbar. Förbättringar av checklistan kan vara ett uppdrag för framtida studier. Dessutom drogs slutsatsen att kommuner kan se problematik med ytterligare arbete med frågan om nyanlända på grund av bristfälliga resurser. Ytterligare en frågeställning framkom under studiens gång på grund av ett lågt deltagande av svenska kommuner och bakomliggande faktorer i denna studie. Frågan behandlade varför svenska kommuner undviker dessa frågor om nyanlända i planeringsprocessen. Slutsatsen av detta pekade på att kommuner inte arbetar med frågorna och att det bör ske förändringar i lagstiftningen. Detta skulle tvinga alla kommuner att prioritera frågan, som även underlättar arbetet för andra kommuner som vill arbeta mer.

The public's demands for increased involvement in resource management planning and decision making emphasize the need to understand public participation and the practical aspects of its application. This thesis sets out to analyse the process of public participation in one case study, focusing in on those who participated directly in the public participation program. The effectiveness of this application is examined and compared to the general experience of public participation in Canada. Special emphasis is placed on discovering whether or not effective public participation produces support for resource management strategies. The study takes place within the context of the Kalamalka Lake Public Participation Program developed by the Ministry of Environment and Parks, Province of British Columbia. This research has pointed out the necessity for: knowing what the public feels about management plans, communicating to the public an agency's objectives, pointing out how an agency's management plans are developed to achieve those objectives, opening the process for the public to participate in finalizing management plans, and communicating detailed, final plans to the public within a reasonable timeframe. The purpose of this research is to see how selected components of public participation affect the development of public support for park management strategies. Public participation is a part of the theory of participatory democracy. It can be included in the present system of representative democracy, and result in a stronger, more stable system of government than exists today. The Bargaining Process Model of public participation is preferred to the Upward Forming Consensus Model because it provides the public with access to the administrators on decisions which directly affect the public. Access is provided through pressure groups which are authorized to participate in the decision making process. Connor's New Ladder, modified to include the public at the joint planning team level, is the most complete and integrated set of public participation methodologies available. The public needs to be brought into the initial stages of the planning process as a partner equal to 'experts'. Ongoing, independent evaluation of public participation programing is necessary for an effective process of public participation to develop. The challenge is to determine which issues require inputs from the public, what segments of the public should be consulted, and how the necessary inputs can be obtained most effectively It is this challenge which forms the research base for this paper and which is directly reflected in these three components of the broad objective (discussed in Chapter I); park issues, social-economic characteristics of the local public, and communication methods. The fourth component is 'the attitudes of the public and park personnel towards each other'. In this component, support of park management strategies is considered a part of the attitudes and perceptions of the public and the agency towards each other. Perceptions and attitudes are investigated as indicators of a successful public participation program and of public support for management strategies. Public participation in Canada at the Federal and Provincial Parks level is a part of the Upward Forming Consensus Model of Public Participation. The public was informed and consulted, but not allowed to advise or consent. In the case of Parks Canada's Four Mountain Parks Planning Process, the importance of distributing clear information to the public and identifying where the public input influenced the final decisions was emphasized. Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park is located on the North East shore of Kalamalka Lake and four kilometers South of the City of Vernon in the province of British Columbia. Steep hills covered by grass and rock outcroppings with some pine forests interspersed with a large network of lakes characterize the area. The name Kalamalka is a Polynesian word thought to mean lake of many colors. Many of the original settlers were British and they have had a strong influence on the social and cultural development of this area. When it was learnt that a major resort and residential development was planned for the land which is now Kalamalka Park, an intense public outcry led by the North Okanagan Naturalist Club resulted in the land being purchased from Coldstream Ranch for a provincial park in August of 1975. The preparation of a master plan for Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park was to be guided by the issues, concerns and proposals received through an open planning process. Public meetings were organized and public comments received. The Parks Branch formulated four alternative plans (concept 1 - 4) and the public voiced their choice through concerns sheets, letters, briefs and petitions. Concept one or two was preferred by the majority (78%) of the public. After a five year delay an advisory committee was set up (1983) to approve a plan for park development. The next year the Advisory Committee presented their report and park development began. The park was opened two years later (1986). Respondents were identified and interviewed about the sequence of events surrounding the Kalamalka Lake Public Participation Program. The purpose of using focused interviews in this research is to evaluate what did or did not work and why. This technique is used to explain behavior and is a valuable indicator of what might occur in similar situations. There were 9 personal interviews and 22 telephone interviews for a total of 31. This research has pointed out the necessity for: - knowing what the public feels about management plans - communicating to the public an agency's objectives - explaining how an agency's management plans are developed to achieve those objectives - opening the process for the public to participate in finalizing management plans - communicating detailed, final plans to the public within a reasonable timeframe The benefits of an effective public participation program are: - less controversy - better overall management plans - active public support / Forestry, Faculty of / Graduate