Community Participation

[Arlene Wong <awong@igc.apc.org>]

The current discussion of community involvement in brownfields provides an
opportunity to share a project we are conducting that speaks to a number of
the issues raised. This project is just underway, so we don't have findings
yet, but I thought it would be useful to inform you about issues we hope to
address--many of the issues that have been raised in this recent discussion.
Specifically, we are in the process of:

1. Examining models of effective community participation and its common
principles (including discussion of "who is the community");
2. Identifying and describing points for community involvement in the
redevelopment process;
3. Assessing the current requirements and procedures for community
participation in regulatory and other brownfield institutions (in
California); and 
4. Providing analysis and examples of effective community-government-private
partnerships (i.e. look at the quality of community participation and its
impact in various projects).

Our primary focus is brownfields redevelopment in California, but we
anticipate that the findings will have national relevance. To fully explore
the issue and capture its complexity, we would welcome your suggestions of
model projects (primarily, but not exclusively, in California) that we
should examine. To maximize what we can learn from these cases, we are
interested in examining cases at various stages of redevelopment. Also, if
you have ideas and suggestions about issues we should explore, projects we
should consider, people we should to contact, or if you want to find out
more about this project, please feel free to contact Santos Gomez or Arlene
Wong directly at:

Pacific Institute
654 13th Street
Oakland, CA  94612
Ph. 510-251-1600
Fax 510-251-2203
E-mail:  Arlene Wong at awong@pacinst.org
   Santos Gomez at sgomez@ix.netcom.com

ABOUT THE PACIFIC INSTITUTE FOR STUDIES IN DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENT, AND
SECURITY
The Pacific Institute is an independent, non-profit center created in 1987
to do applied policy research to assist policymakers, communities, and
activists with finding sustainable solutions to natural resource and
community development problems. By design, our work draws links among a
broad range of environmental, social, economic, and political problems.
Through our work, we contribute to equitable and sound development, the
reversal of environmental degradation, and empowerment of people and
communities. Fundamental in our search for sustainable solutions is the need
for democratic, participatory decision-making.

********************************
Arlene K. Wong   Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security  654 13th Street   Oakland, CA  94612

Voice: 510-251-1600
Fax:  510-251-2203
Website:  www.pacinst.org/pacinst