The Planning Coordinator's Manual
Planning public spaces or urban projects goes beyond numbers, budgets, and building permits. Truly functional and meaningful spaces are created when everyone affected by the change is actively involved — from key stakeholders and experts to political representatives and local residents. A participatory approach helps ensure that no crucial actors or processes are overlooked, reducing the risk of delays or complete blockage of project’s implementation.
This manual guides you through the entire participatory planning process – from identifying key stakeholders and engaging the public, to gaining final approval and developing an actionable implementation plan. It offers proven methods, practical tools, and tips for effectively involving different groups, helping you overcome common challenges along the way.
While designed primarily for specialists and coordinators of participatory planning in cities, this guide will also benefit other professionals involved in participation. Although public involvement occurs only during specific project phases, it is important to approach the process holistically – from initial preparations to final implementation. For this reason, the manual is structured as a clear, step-by-step journey to help you successfully navigate your projects from start to finish.
process plan in a nutshell
Step 01 - Mapping Stakeholders
At the beginning of every project, the most important task is to identify the key stakeholders – those who fund the project, approve it, or determine its final form. These institutions, organizations, or individuals are the first to be informed about the project to establish a shared understanding of project’s goals and framework (process plan). Every subsequent step builds upon this foundation.
Step 02 - Roundtables with Stakeholders
In the previous step, you and your colleagues from the city district identified the project’s key stakeholders. The next step is to organize one or more roundtables (depending on the project’s scope) to discuss the project brief and participation limits. Roundtables may be held multiple times throughout the project – for example, in Step 5 during the process plan set up.
Step 03 - Background Analyses
During the roundtables (Step 2), you and the stakeholders decide which background and technical analyses are required to prepare the project design. These might include, for example, dendrological survey, evapotranspiration study, soil quality assessment, analysis of sleeping options for people experiencing homelessness, inventory of street furniture, or demographic study. You will also determine who will be responsible for commissioning these materials to ensure a smooth workflow.
Step 04 - Community and User Mapping
One definition of participatory planning describes it as a “planning process in which those people or entities affected by the project are involved.” To engage these individuals and organizations effectively, we first need to identify who they are and understand their current or potential interests.
Step 05 - Process Plan Set Up
A comprehensive process setup will help you in assessing whether external human resources are required and, if so, when they are needed, or if all roles can be managed by your team and colleagues from the city district/City of Prague. We therefore recommend creating a process plan with the awareness that it can serve as the foundation for a public tender. In this tender, you can hire a contractor to carry out Activities 6 - 11 or provide expert consultation to your office throughout the entire process.
Step 06 - Analysis of Needs (1st phase of participatory planning)
The analysis (survey) of needs serves as an analytical foundation for the design creation. Essentially, it involves gathering information on how users engage with a given location, service or product, what problems or values they perceive, and what, in their opinion, needs to be changed, preserved, or reinforced.
Step 07 - Design Concept Development
The design expert, responsible for the final output of the planning process (the design concept - e.g. Strategic plan, Revitalization concept for a square), will formulate an initial draft - proposal based on expert studies (Activity 3) and analysis of needs (Activity 6).
Step 08 - Consultation of the Design Concept (2nd phase of participatory planning)
Consultation of the design proposal offers a chance to present the preliminary draft of the design concept (or various variants) to both (a) the public and (b) stakeholders. The objective is to collect their feedback, understand their perspectives, involve them in a comprehensive discussion, and identify any potential gaps or shortcomings in the presented proposal. Feedback from the broader public serves as a check to ensure that the design expert, investor or local government has integrated, addressed, and understood the initial input from residents and the findings from the analysis of needs.
Step 09 - Addressing Comments
Collaborate with the design expert to review individual comments received during the design concept proposal consultation, assess their relevance, and incorporate them as appropriate. Reject comments and suggestions that fall outside the defined participation limits, providing sufficient justification. If there is ambiguity or a need for larger-scale changes, involve stakeholders at this stage.
Step 10 - Final Design Presentation
Building upon the previous phases of the participatory process and public engagement, it is crucial to keep local residents informed about the final design concept, study or solution. Even if the final version contradicts the preferences of some users, transparent communication is always more appreciated by the public than keeping silent.
Step 11 - Action Plan (Follow-Up Implementation)
The chosen participatory process (Activities 1 to 10) offers the advantage of involving stakeholders and the public in project preparation from the very outset. This significantly reduces the risk of overlooking a particular (significant) actor or process in the preparation of the design concept, thus preventing potential delays in overall project implementation. Consequently, Activity 11 serves more as the culmination of the negotiation process with key actors (those who invest, decide, and authorize). Through workshops or individual meetings, this activity aims to reach consensus, solidify the follow-up steps, documentations, and investment processes essential for the successful implementation of the project. It also addresses post-implementation maintenance.