Citizen Engagement in Post-Hurricane Katrina Planning in Harrison County, Mississippi

Abstract:     
This article describes an empowerment planning process that brought residents, public officials, and university students together in Harrison County, Mississippi, following the devastation that Hurricane Katrina brought to this community in August 2005. The participants in this process worked to develop solutions to several critical problems involved in rebuilding efforts. The article addresses methods of engaging community members in a participatory planning process, structures for supporting student learning for future efforts, and the challenges of overcoming local residents' perceptions of outsiders' participation in their process. The article concludes by proposing measures for evaluating the merit of a planning process.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 18

Keywords: Cityscape, HUD, Huduser

working papers series