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
The process plan is like a map that guides you to the right destination. A well-prepared plan helps you decide whether and when external support is needed, or whether your team together with the city district / City of Prague can manage the process internally. We recommend designing the plan so it can double as the basis for a public tender for a contractor to deliver Steps 6–11 or to help your office navigate the process if needed.
Step 06 – Analysis of Needs (1st phase of participatory planning)
Needs assessment is the first of two phases of the participation process. Its outputs provide one of the key foundations for developing the proposal. This step focuses on gathering information about how users engage with a specific area, service, or product – what values they recognize, what problems they encounter, and what they believe should be changed, preserved, or strengthened.
Step 07 – Design Concept Development
The author team responsible for delivering the final output of the planning process (e.g., the selected architectural studio) will prepare a working proposal (draft) of the project design – such as a concept for the urban study, revitalization, or strategic plan. This proposal will be based on both the technical analyses conducted in Step 3 and the analysis of needs carried out in Step 6.
Step 08 – Consultation of the Design Proposal (2nd phase of participatory planning)
Consulting the proposal is the second phase of the participation process, during which you and the author present the draft of the project design concept – or several variants – to the public and key stakeholders. Your goal is to gather feedback, understand their opinions, and identify potential gaps or shortcomings in the proposal. Feedback from the broader public serves as a check to ensure that the author, the investor, or the local administration have correctly understood and incorporated the original input collected during the analysis of needs (Step 6).
Step 09 – Addressing Comments
After the proposal consultation, it is time to sort, evaluate, and address all comments – deciding which can be incorporated into the proposal and which cannot. A high-quality final project proposal should reflect real user needs while remaining feasible. This step is critical for maintaining public trust in the process: people need to see how their input was handled, whether it was included in the proposal, or why it could not be incorporated.
Step 10 – Final Design Presentation
After two completed phases of participation, it is essential to present the final form of the project (urban study, strategy, architectural competition, etc.). The public values transparent communication, even if the proposal does not fully meet the needs of all users. Openness is always better than silence.
Step 11 – Action Plan (Follow-Up Implementation)
The action plan marks the culmination of the participatory process with key stakeholders – those who invest in, decide on, and approve the project. In this phase, workshops or individual meetings are used to define all key steps, documentation, and investment processes necessary for successful project implementation. At the same time, a plan for the project’s long-term care and maintenance is established.