Participatory Planning as Dialogue: The Northern Ireland Regional Strategic Framework and its Public Examination Process

Citizen and organization participation in public policy formulation is now part of the mainstream. It is against that context that this paper examines the contribution of an inclusive, participatory planning process to the preparation of a new regional strategic framework for Northern Ireland. The discussion includes questionnaire data from those attending a public examination into the regional strategy. The wider value of this Northern Ireland experience for an appreciation of participatory planning as dialogue is addressed, along with the assistance given to democratic renewal.