Yokohama City - Pioneer in Public Involvement

This 30 September 2006 article describes the introduction of the Public Involvement (PI) system into public works planning processes in Japan. In the author's view, public works should be planned based on a social consensus regarding the project's appropriateness and necessity. Thus, PI includes giving citizens a hearing. One of the most remarkable features of the case presented here was the inclusion of discussions of a wide range of options, including the option of "no development" well in advance of taking the decision on whether to undertake the public contruction.