PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND RURAL PLANNING: TEXADA ISLAND, A CASE STUDY by ROBERT MCWILLIAM B.A. (Hons), University Of Calgary, 1972 M.A., McMaster University, 1973 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES School Of Community And Regional Planning We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA June 1985 © Robert McWilliam, 1985 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of School Of Community And Regional Planning The University of British Columbia 2075 Wesbrook Place Vancouver, Canada V6T 1W5 Date: April 1985 i i Abstract This thesis examines various approaches to public participation within rural planning. It deals with the roles rural residents, in unincorporated areas of British Columbia, can play in local planning. The thesis argues that effective planning in such areas only occurs if a rural planning approach, which considers distinctive rural characteristics, is. applied to the planning process. Such planning generally requires the active involvement of rural people. To accomplish this objective a model is constructed of how rural residents participate in planning. Its theoretical framework is developed from a review of the available literature on rural planning and public participation. The model is then used to examine a specific area—Texada Island--which was selected because of its recent experiences with planning. The model identifies four main approaches to rural planning: planning 'of a rural community; planning 'for' a rural community; planning 'with' a rural community; and planning 'by' a rural community. The thesis argues that all of these approaches can meet the criteria that define rural planning, but they differ significantly on the objectives for the planning process, and the roles the local residents perform. The model also contains four categories of public participation: public information; data collection; citizenship training; and involvement in decision making. This thesis defines public participation as the means whereby the general public interact with decision makers, beyond elections, to ensure public decisions reflect their objectives. Within the context of this definition the four categories are seen as being the main avenues that rural people have for participation in planning. When the types of participation were applied to the various rural planning approaches a number of observations about the involvement of rural people in planning became apparent. These characteristics were reinforced when the Texada Islanders' experiences with planning were examined. The model and the Texada example both demonstrated that even within the constraints inherent in the various types of planning there were opportunities to enhance the level of public involvement. The author takes the position that these possible improvements are significant to the planning process since there is a positive linear correlation between increased public participation and the effectiveness of the planning process. The relationship between public involvement and planning is demonstrated through the analysis of rural planning approaches. Planning 'of' a rural, community may produce some short term results but it is incapable of providing any long term direction because the planning process is too divorced from the aspiration of the local residents who have considerable ability to frustrate external objectives even when they have little ability to take the initiative. Planning 'for' a rural community generally fails because the issues that the planning exercise is attempting to deal with are examined from the perceptions of 'outsiders'. Planning 'with' a rural community is limited because the planning process is dominated by the 'experts' who i v also see issues through a different set of perceptions. Planning 'by' the rural community approach is the approach that the thesis claims can succeed when the others fail. Its success is related to its correlation to rural values; its emphasis on local resources, which expands the usually limited resources available for any rural planning; and the fact that it deals with planning as part of a larger process of rural development. Rural development avoids the frequent segregation of planning and implementation and permits the planning to become an ongoing process which allows for adjustment and elaboration as required. Advocating a need for planning 'by' rural communities is not done with any naive assumptions about its success being assured. This approach can produce the most enduring results, but it also exacts the highest costs in terms of effort and its existence is dependent on a continuing commitment by the rural residents who are in control of the planning process. But this commitment is a requirement for rural development where change is achieved by the active participation of affected people. V Table of Contents Abstract ii List of Tables x List of Figures xi Chapter I INTRODUCTION 1 A. GENERAL STATEMENT OF TOPIC 1 B. SCOPE OF THESIS .3 C. METHOD 4 Chapter II STUDY FOCUS . 8 A. WHAT IS RURAL? 8 1 . POPULATION 9 2. DENSITY 10 3. DISTANCE 12 4. ENVIRONMENT 13 B. WHAT IS LOCAL CONTROL? 14 1 . CONTROL 15 2 . LOCAL 16 a. Legitimacy 18 b. Localized Consequences 19 3. DEFINITION OF LOCAL CONTROL 19 C. SUMMARY 21 Chapter III PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 2 3 A. ROOTS OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 23 1. PHILOSOPHICAL BASIS FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION .23 a. Democratic Values 24 b. Public Interest 27 2. PRAGMATIC APPROACH TO DESCRIBING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 28 a. Value To Decision Makers 29 b. Value To Public ...30 B. WHAT IS PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 31 1. A DEFINITION OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 31 2. APPROACHES TO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 33 a. Public Information 35 b. Data Collection 37 c. Citizenship Training 38 d. Involvement In Decision Making 39 vi C. SUMMARY 42 Chapter IV RURAL PLANNING 4 3 A. NEED FOR RURAL PLANNING ...43 B. CONCEPTS OF RURAL PLANNING 48 1. CONVENTIONAL RURAL PLANNING 48 2. AN ALTERNATIVE CONCEPT OF RURAL PLANNING 49 a. Different Problems .....50 b. Different Resources 53 c. Different People 54 C. RURAL PLANNING APPROACHES 57 1. PLANNING 'OF' RURAL COMMUNITIES 57 2. , PLANNING 'FOR' RURAL COMMUNITIES 59 3. PLANNING 'WITH' RURAL COMMUNITIES 60 4. PLANNING 'BY' RURAL COMMUNITIES 62 D. SUMMARY 63 Chapter V PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN RURAL PLANNING 65 A. INTEGRATION OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND RURAL PLANNING 65 1. PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING 'OF' RURAL COMMUNITIES 67 a. Public Information 67 b. Data Collections 67 c. Citizenship Training 68 d. Involvement In Decision Making 68 2. PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING 'FOR' RURAL COMMUNITIES 69 a. Public Information 69 b. Data Collection ....69 c. Citizenship Training 70 d. Involvement In Decision Making 70 3. PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING 'WITH' RURAL COMMUNITIES 71 a. Public Information 72 b. Data Collection 72 c. Citizenship Training 73 d. Involvement In Decision Making 74 4. PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING 'BY' RURAL COMMUNITIES 75 a. Public Information 75 b. Data Collection 76 c. Citizenship Training 76 d. Involvement In Decision Making 77 B. ENHANCEMENT OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 78 1. PLANNING 'OF' RURAL COMMUNITIES 82 vii a. Public Information 82 b. Data Collection 84 c. Citizenship Training 86 d. Involvement In Decision Making 87 2. PLANNING 'FOR' RURAL COMMUNITIES 88 a. Public Information 88 b. Data Collection 89 c. Citizenship Training 91 d. Involvement In Decision Making 93 3. PLANNING 'WITH' RURAL COMMUNITIES 95 a. Public Information 95 b. Data Collection 97 c. Citizenship Training 98 d. Involvement In Decision Making 98 4. PLANNING 'BY' RURAL COMMUNITIES 100 a. Public Information 100 b. Data Collection 100 c. Citizenship Training 100 d. Involvement In Decision Making 101 C. SUMMARY 101 Chapter VI TEXADA ISLAND 103 A. BACKGROUND 103 1 . HISTORY 103 2. IMPLICATIONS FOR PLANNING 109 B. INVENTORY 110 1 . PHYSICAL FEATURES 111 a. Topography ..111 b. Geology 112 c . Climate 113 d. Biological Resources 113 2. ECONOMIC RESOURCES 115 a . Mining 115 b. Forestry 118 c. Agriculture 121 d. Tourism 122 e. Fish And Wildlife 123 f. Service Sector 125 g. Other Economic Activities 126 3. HUMAN RESOURCES 127 a. Population 127 b. Community Organization 129 C. TRENDS ...133 1. FUTURE PROJECTS 133 a. Industrial Activity 133 b. Resource Extraction 135 c . Tourism 1 38 d. Real Estate Development 140 e. Alternative Economic Opportunities ...142 vi i i 2. FUTURE SCENARIOS 143 a. Industrial Boom 143 b. Industrial Bust 144 c. Sustained Growth 144 d. Stagnation 145 e. Real Estate Boom 145 Chapter VII PLANNING ACTIVITY ON TEXADA ISLAND 147 A. SECTORAL PLANNING EFFORTS AFFECTING TEXADA ISLAND 147 1. OVERVIEW OF SECTORAL PLANNING 147 2. FORESTRY PLANNING ACTIVITIES 149 a. General Approach 149 b. Forestry Planning For Texada 151 3. OBSERVATIONS 154 B. PROVINCIAL AREA PLANNING EFFORTS ON TEXADA ISLAND 155 1. 1973 PROPOSED GENERAL LAND USE PLAN 155 2. OBSERVATIONS 159 C. REGIONAL DISTRICT PLANNING EFFORTS AFFECTING TEXADA ..161 1 . BACKGROUND 161 2. TEXADA SETTLEMENT PLAN 163 3. POWELL RIVER REGIONAL DISTRICT OFFICIAL REGIONAL PLAN 1 68 4 . OBSERVATIONS 170 D. COMMUNITY INITIATIVE ON PLANNING 172 1. HISTORY OF SELF-RELIANCE 172 2. ORGANIZING FOR OPPOSITION 174 3. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE 179 a. Ongoing Organization 180 b. Finding Allies 181 c. Planning Activity 184 4. OBSERVATIONS 187 E. APPLICATION OF RURAL PLANNING MODEL 189 1. PLANNING 'OF* TEXADA ISLAND 190 2. PLANNING 'FOR' TEXADA ISLAND 192 3. PLANNING 'WITH' TEXADA ISLANDERS 193 4. PLANNING 'BY' TEXADA ISLANDERS 194 Chapter VIII CONCLUSIONS 197 A. RURAL PLANNING 197 1.