Strategic communications can enhance brownfields public participation

摘要

Public participation is generally defined as the process of engaging stakeholders such that those most impacted by a particular activity can influence outcomes of that activity. Although not a recent practice, the importance of public participation has gained prominence in recent years where projects impact natural resources and communities. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has and continues to revise its policies with respect to public participation in several agency programs. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the efficacy of public participation within the context of EPA's Brownfields program, and to make recommendations about how the use of strategic communications can enhance the overall success of the revitalization of the project.