From top down and bottom up, to practicing together:

Participatory planning is commonly recognised as a key competency for urban planners and designers in Aotearoa New Zealand. But planners are increasingly expected to navigate more complex scenarios with more diverse stakeholders triggering demands for greater expertise, alongside regulatory change e.g., Reshaping Streets. Drivers include global innovations in participatory democracy, the need to accelerate climate adaptations, and upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

This presentation seeks to catalyse discussion on how to further upskill the profession. Drawing on recent research, it will critically examine core ideals underlying current good practice in both participation and engagement, and planning and design – and reflect on how, alongside positive outcomes, these may accidentally catalyse disruption, dissonance, and dissent. Finally, the presentation will pivot to pragmatic hope by considering a pathway for the profession: using interdisciplinary thinking on informed consent to renew focus on ethical and democratic professional practice.