Urban Planning: Does Public Opinion Still Matter?

Land development is much like buying a house: emotional. Until you've experienced it, you might not think they are the same, but they sure can be. Public opinion is someone getting up at a public event and stating their opinion on a development. Public opinion is very subjective, at times relying solely on emotion and rumours.

We've all seen and heard the term NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) and most people claiming an issue swear it's not NIMBY...even if it is! It is likely the social stigma attached to NIMBY: dismissed as not heresy and rumours, that results in that knee-jerk reaction from the public, politicians and even professional planners. So, does public opinion really matter anymore?

The answer is YES! Professional planners rely on the public to help form their opinions, which are then formed into professional recommendations presented to Council for making a decision. It might not seem so to the general public though.

Neighbour disputes, often involving seemingly trivial matters (neighbour doesn't practice stop 'n scoop) or some unrelated event can cause friction and the need for vengeance. They are both unrelated events, but have lead to neighbours objecting to a development as a means of exacting that revenge. Is this appropriate or an abuse of process: you decide.

So yes, public opinion matters, and likely more than ever before, as land development is getting more and more complex, leaving Professional Planners to decipher the issues, filter through comments to find the facts to form their opinions. Planners often get yelled at during public meetings, for not appearing to listen to citizens, or being accused of being on the developers side when supporting the application, or any number of issues. These are just emotional reactions to the issue at hand, and do little to alter the facts or likely the outcome.

Citizens who have gone through a professional organization's disciplinary hearing and were left with a bad taste in their mouth usually think it was a waste of time, although they incorrectly use this process to seek satisfaction that isn't available. Professional discipline processes are not the best avenue to resolve these issues. The public may see a Planner acting unethically, in their view, although the action proves to be entirely appropriate and ethical on investigation. Seeking 'justice' this way can be time consuming and frustrating.

The best route for citizens to make their opinions heard is at public meetings and the associated Council meeting. If they are still not satisfied, then the Ontario Municipal Board is the next step. That, however gets very costly and confusing to most, requiring professionals to help make your case. In the end, however if the issue is worth appealing, it is worth the money to hire professionals to support you. If you don't see the value in hiring professionals, you may want to rethink the value of appealing.

So, yes public opinion still matters. It is a planners role to figure out how that opinion translates into the public interest. The path is not always direct or obvious. We need to find trust and respect in one another to achieve this.