Decision makers and affected parties engaged in solving contemporary governmental problems, specifically land use planning and environmental issues, are recognizing that traditional decision making strategies are insufficient. Because a participatory democracy approach to public participation has been offered as a potential solution to these problems, a more sophisticated understanding of its role in local development decisions is necessary. This study attempts to meet that need by defining a more substantive brand of public participation, identifying significant barriers to its implementation and providing specific recommendations for practice. The role of participatory democracy in local economic development is explored through a qualitative analysis of Louisville, Kentuckys Brownfield Institute, a series of community public workshops designed to develop, through a community participatory process, innovative methods to encourage and support economic revitalization and brownfields redevelopment in West Louisville.

Allison Turner is Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration at West Chester University. Her professional experience encompasses various roles within the nonprofit sector, including program development and community economic development. Her research addresses the the role of nonprofit organizations in contemporary political economies.