A Ladder Of Citizen Participation
Original version
Arnstein, S. R. (1969) A Ladder Of Citizen Participation. Journal of the American Planning Association, 35(4), 216-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944366908977225Abstract
The heated controversy over “citizen participation,” “citizen control”, and “maximum feasible involvement of the poor,” has been waged largely in terms of exacerbated rhetoric and misleading euphemisms. To encourage a more enlightened dialogue, a typology of citizen participation is offered using examples from three federal social programs: urban renewal, anti-poverty, and Model Cities. The typology, which is designed to be provocative, is arranged in a ladder pattern with each rung corresponding to the extent of citizens' power in determining the plan and/or program.