Future Shapers: Children,Young People,and Planning in New Zealand Local Government

Children and young people are increasingly being recognised by planners as legitimate participants in planning and local government as evidenced in the growth of participation initiatives being undertaken by local councils. In 2003 research was undertaken with planners working in local government in New Zealand to establish how widespread these initiatives were and the extent to which children and young people were considered by planners and actively involved in planning practice. The results were both encouraging and frustrating. Encouraging, in that planners are keen to involve children and young people in planning and there are a number of innovative and promising policies and projects. Frustrating, in that these initiatives are not representative of planning as a whole, where regulatory planning is still the prime concern and more socially oriented issues, such as those associated with children and young people, languish fairly low on the list of priorities for the vast majority of New Zealand local government planners.