Citizens are an essential (perhaps the most essential) element of the planning universe, and one that planners must reckon with if the planning process is to have any long-term value. A challenge facing many localities is deciding how best to include citizens in the planning process. A multitude of strategies, each with particular strengths, are possible. If planning is to succeed, however, the question will not be whether citizens should be involved in planning for the future, but how to get them involved.
a cruel joke or a scene that could only take place in outer space! Perhaps, however, the citizens have just returned from a dynamic and exciting workshop helping to envision the community's future!