Community representation in the planning process and its impact on the landscape: A study of the South Dade U.S. 1 Corridor Project

This thesis looks at how political decisions influence the design and outcome of planning processes and how these decisions influence the urban landscape. This study looks at one specific planning process and compares the results of two different planning workshops to show how differences in representation and information dissemination can lead to different outcomes. The first workshop had broad representation and was educated by planning experts, while the second consisted of only local community representatives and was not influenced by planning professionals. Although similar, each workshop had different visions and different priorities. This shows that participatory processes have to be carefully constructed to empower communities. It also shows that decisions made in the way planning processes are structured can lead to differences in the landscape.