Bridging the Gap: Planners and Stakeholders

In any project, planners coordinate, network, and educate stakeholders to ensure that outcomes meet the public interest. They are the mycorrhizal network, transferring knowledge and resources between different interests and offerings. However, imbalances of power within a project can occur when planners are sidelined in communications.

In "Network Power or Power-Penetrated Network: An Analysis of the Communication Network in an Economic Development Project" (Journal of the American Planning Association, Vol. 90, No. 3) Li Fang, Yijia Wen, Jingze Zhang, Gordon Erlebacher, and Samuel Staley examine the lack of planner participation in the shifting power dynamics of a multi-year planning project.

Analyzing Communication Networks

This study examined over 21,000 emails related to a high-profile public-private economic development project in Tallahassee, Florida, which received more than $2 million from the city. The six-year Edison project converted the abandoned City Electric Plant into the Edison Restaurant.

The Edison Restaurant was initially planned as a privately funded project to repurpose a historic utility building. However, increased public subsidies and the investors' political ties sparked controversy over the renovation's actual public benefit.

The Edison Project relied on two main decision-making entities: the city commission and the community redevelopment agency. The city commission approved the project's launch, the assignment of the contract, $1.3 million in public funding, and the operational review of the Edison Restaurant.

Figure 4: Email network among stakeholder organizations.

Suspicions of corruption led the Federal Bureau of Investigation to subpoena the entire email record of politicians and public officials involved in major economic development projects during this period, including the Edison project. Under Florida's Sunshine Law, 21,814 emails related to the Edison project became public records and were used as raw material for this study.

Using social network analysis, the authors identified nodes and lines of communication between key actors of the Edison project, highlighting the frequency of communication among planners, the city commission, and the community redevelopment agency.

Alleviate Power Imbalances

The analysis of Edison project emails revealed that city commissioners were the most engaged, with frequent back-and-forth communication among stakeholders. In contrast, planners' roles were notably absent, potentially leading to the project's issues.

To alleviate power imbalances, the authors propose that planners play the role of critical friend friendsm truly collaborative networks. This approach can help avoid corruption in the planning process.

Advocating for a progressive role for planners as mediators, the authors propose that planners build a bridge between all stakeholders by instituting email transparency. This approach aims to promote a more democratic negotiation process and alleviate informational power imbalances. They argue that these efforts can contribute to achieving successful planning projects that best serve the public interest.

The authors call for more research, journalism, and other narratives about communications in development. They also advocate for analyses that reveal the patterns leading to successful, unsuccessful, or even corrupt projects.

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