University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Masters Theses Graduate School 12-1995 Participatory Planning at the Grassroots: The Tennessee Valley Authority's Tributary Area Development Program Ekem Amonoo Lartson University of Tennessee - Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes Part of the Urban, Community and Regional Planning Commons Recommended Citation Lartson, Ekem Amonoo, "Participatory Planning at the Grassroots: The Tennessee Valley Authority's Tributary Area Development Program. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 1995. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/3535 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Ekem Amonoo Lartson entitled "Participatory Planning at the Grassroots: The Tennessee Valley Authority's Tributary Area Development Program." I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Master of Science, with a major in Architecture. David Johnson, Major Professor We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: George E. Bowen, Joseph M. Prochaska, John P. Gaventa Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting a thesis written by Ekern Amonoo Lartson entitled "Participatory Planning at the Grassroots: A Look at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Tributary Area Development Program." I have examined the final copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Planiting. We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance Accepted for the Council: Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Graduate School PARTICIPATORY PlANNING AT THE GRASSROOTS: THE TENNESSEE VAllEY AUTHORITY'S TRIBUTARY AREA DEVELOP:MENT PROGRAM A Thesis Presented for the Master of Science Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Ekern Amonoo Lartson December 1995 Copyright© Ekern Amonoo Lartson, 1995 All Rights Reserved ii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my mother Dr. Leonora Iris Lartson iii ACKNOWLEDG:MENTS I would like to thank my major professor, Dr. David A. Johnson for his valuable insights and suggestions. I would also like to thank the other committee members, Associate Professor George E. Bowen, Professor Joseph M. Prochaska, and Dr. John P. Gaventa. I would like to thank Dr. Gaventa for complementing my interest in studying participatory planning for this thesis project by giving me the idea to study the 1VA's Tributary Area Development Program. John, you have been a mentor to me in my academic life and a role model in my professional life; thank you. I would also like to express my utmost gratitude to Diane Cudahy, Ebru Cepni, Sue Remaley and everyone else that nudged me along towards the completion of this thesis. Finally, I would like to thank Leonora Lartson, Ekua Lartson, Wokie Lartson, and Vassey Lartson for the faith they have always had in me. iv ABSTRACT This research studied how, and the extent to which, participation was part of the Tennessee Valley Authority's (1VA) Tributary Area Development (TAD) program. The methods of the research and collection of data and information for this thesis project was done through a couple of techniques. An extensive review of participatory planning, tributary area development, and Tennessee Valley Authority literature was conducted. This review included going through TVA and TAD flies. An interview process involving past participants and liaisons of the TAD program was also conducted as part of the research and documentation process. This study concluded the following as regards the TVA's TAD program: ( 1) the TAD program was compromised by the myopic view of its participants; ( 2) partners to the TAD process acted like competing interests groups who campaigned to define the optimum and express the need; ( 3) the TAD program was a political game that was full of strategic moves, defensive strategies, manipulative tactics, and belligerent attitudes; ( 4) owing to the above, among others, the TAD program, it can be said, failed as a participatory planning program. v TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE ONE INTR ODUCTION------------------------------1 1WO PARTICIPATION---------------------------2 3 In trod uc tion -------------------------2 3 Definitions and Dimensions----------29 Definitions----------------------3 0 Dimensions------------------ ---40 Institutionalization---------4 0 Representation-------------4 8 --------------------- Power 53 Knowledge-----------------6 2 Apathy--------------------6 6 Fragmentation-------------7 0 Techniques and Processes------------77 Prescriptions-------------------------8 9 vi THREE TVA'S G RASSROOTS-------------------------99 DEMOCRATIC PLANNING Introduction --------------------------9 9 The TV A Idea -----------------------109 The Decentralized-------------------115 GrassrootsConcept Criticisms of the TVA Ideal---------127 FOUR A CASE STUDY OF PARTICIPATION: -------135 THE TVA TAD PROGRAM Introduction ------------------------------13 5 3 Antecedent Federal Watershed---------1 7 Initiatives The Tributary Area----------------------13 9 Deve lopment Program The TAD Planning Process-------------15 2 OTAD's Organizational Structure--------15 8 The Watershed Citizen-----------------16 5 Organizations "For the People and by the People"-------176 Re lationships with the Grassroots-------189 FIVE CONC LU SIONS----------------------------2 04 BIBLIOGRAPHY ------------------------------------- 2 2 7 vii APPENDIX----------------------------------.:._________ 2 3 5 TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY---------------2 3 6 ACT: SECTIONS 22 AND 23 CHRONOLOGY OF THE EVOLUTION---------------2 3 8 OF THE TRmUTARY AREA DEVELOP:MENT PROGRAM TABLE ONE: PHYSICAL--------------------------248 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WATERSHEDS ACTIVITIES IN THE WATERSHEDS OF-----------249 THE TRIB UTARY AREA DEVELOP:MENT PROGRAM THESIS INTERVIEW QUESTIONS-----------------2 5 8 METH OD O LOGY----------------------------------2 60 VITA-------------------------------------------------2 6 2 viii , I L L K E N T u c K y , // I�, ,--.""-- , ...... .·( \I ) ("". '\ ':\' TRIBUTARY AREAS with intensified progroms '� \�I l\'1 Oj TRIBUTARY WATERSHED LIMITS EXPERIMENTAL WATERSHEDS 0 � - > - ------------ - L ---- ------..� - - .,-- ------- . --- ---- - I - - -------------- - :-- . - - - � - � .L --- - _, - ------------- I UPPER-DUCK RIVER---: Uppur Ou<:k R!Vttr OtWek,Dm.tnt ! I Auocl•tiCN'I July l\JI4: t.toe $ou•'" Mil-' j ILOWER LITTLET ENNESSEE RIVER r.nnossee Hiv�tr V•lllt)' Upper 0\ICkR tver \ Little I Oov•k)Dment A&:ttncy • '0 Men:h I ���e�o��7���t���·���. , i !.:,� _ ,. -------- __j -- N N E s S' �ECH RIVER___ ·-- eeh R"'er Comm•tt" · , .,.,.., :9•.! eed'l R1ver W•twlihed As�oc•at1orJ " :� h �:��·:�7:s:�t l �;��:�::· �•le ' ---··· · J .. c ·---------·------- YELlOW CREEK-- Y Iow Waters.ned Authority.. Creek Apnl \9$8:\<J'I SQuar,. Mole-�-· l8EAR CREEK I __ I Sear Ct'Hk Watershed , l Astoci8tian. Inc. I Octobe-r 1961.946 SQ�r•Mt1e1 j J ·"-.. TRIBUTARY AREA DEVELOPMENT 1 Sear Cr�ek Oev-'oornent ! AuthOf'aty IN I Nowo,LI<l" l%':1 I THE TENNESSEE VALLEY ELK RIVER Elk Ra�ter DevelOpment Anoc:i•tinn TENNESSEE VALLKY AUTHORITY llo;Cobet IQ59;2.249 SQ...-re Mile• Tt�nneue..·Eik Raver Oewtooment �•ncv SCAU: OF MILES 0 • M I S s Ma..cn lKl � ft Alabama·Eik Ri.,...,. O.Vetopment Aaency ,..ov•'"D"' 1 "15 G E 0 R G I A 9EM"EMU..:R 1111'7 liS ud SuNarl Branch G·MS·453A680AS CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION In September of 1990, Ruth Knack stated in Planning magazine that along with cluster development and inclusionary zoning, citizen participation ranked high on the list of planning "virtues" (Knack, 1990). This thesis seeks to utilize one of the virtuous elements of planning-participation-to study how, and to what extent, a particular development initiative, the Tennessee Valley Authority's Tributary Area Development Program, incorporated the input of citizens under the banners of "Grassroots Development" and "Democratic Planning." Throughout its history, the 'IV A proudly touted the agency as a democratic institution that planned for and with the grassroots. An example of this vaunting can be seen in David lilienthal's book, 'IVA: Democracy on the March. In expanding on his theory of the grassroots this past board member and chairman of 'IV A implied that the agency was a decentralized and people-centered bureaucratic agency that practiced "grassroots democracy" (Neuse, 1983). The Tennessee Valley Authority was created by the 'IVA Act of 1933. The creation of this regional development authority was to impact a large geographical area (comprising seven states) and spark a massive and unprecedented regional 1 development planning initiative that was conducted throughout the Tennessee Valley.The act created a broad mandate to plan, survey, study, experiment, conserve, develop, and promote the general welfare and resources of a people and their region. The creation of an administrative apparatus with a regional