Planning Activities Improvements Responding Local Interests Change through Participatory Approach

Abstract

Participatory approach is useful to clarify local interests, and improve planning activities. This paper aims to evaluate local interests change and make improvements of rural development planning activities as a response. Participatory approaches were used to make rural development planning in 2007. According to the planning activities in 2007, implementation of plans and local developing requirements were tested from local perspective in 2012. Comparing local developing requirements in 2007 and 2012, local interests changes were clarified and used to advise planning activities improvements. Wangzhuang village, Hebei province, China, was chosen as the case study. The results suggest that local preference was helpful to clarify planning goals. Conflicts between different stakeholders’ interests were mainly about planning activities related to local daily life. Local interests showed a fast changeable character in a short term. These interests generally had a stable requirement on agriculture production improvement, while changed in other aspects during local community development. Participatory approach efficiently identified local interests priority and developing requirements change with a low cost. Then advised planning activities improvements consistent supported local sustainable development. We argue that taking planning activities improvements in response to local interests change through participatory approach could efficiently stimulate rural development.

Keywords

• rural development planning
• participatory planning
• local interests change
• sustainable development