- Effective community engagement tools in watershed plans: Examples from the USA   click here to open paper content289 kb
by    Meenar, Mahbubur & Featherstone, Jeffrey & Mandarano, Lynn | meenar@temple.edu   click here to send an email to the auther(s) of this paper
Short Outline
This paper will discuss the typology of various “community design” tools
used in USA-based watershed plans.
Abstract
Communities throughout the USA use “participatory decision making” tools,
also known as “community design” tools, in their planning and development
processes in order to fulfill two primary objectives: understanding
people’s needs and practicing good design and management (Toker, 2012).
This paper will discuss the typology of various “community design” tools
used in USA-based watershed plans. Following the literature on
collaborative watershed planning and management (Moore & Koontz, 2003;
Mandarano, 2010; Chaffin et al., 2012; Muro & Jeffrey, 2012), we will
analyze the use of such tools in 25 watershed plans, including watershed
management, protection, or restoration plans and green infrastructure
plans, selected from various regions of the USA.

Using document review and case study research methods, the discussions will
be primarily focused on the nature and types of community engagement
techniques in the watershed planning process. The paper will document the
use of in-person civic engagement practices such as public information
meetings, stakeholders outreach meetings, focus groups, and workshops, and
digital civic engagement practices such as emails, web sites, and social
media. This research builds on our current efforts, which are confined to
specific case studies in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA. This paper will
provide a broader analysis of the USA experience. The authors will outline
lessons learned from the USA that may be applicable to watershed planning
in other counties.
Keywords
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