Pressure points : the theory and practice of communications planning for planners in sustainable development projects

This thesis addresses the question of how planners can develop communications plans to maximize their effectiveness when dealing with the mass media during the planning and implementation of sustainable development policy initiatives. Sustainable development brings new imperatives to the practice of planning, bringing attention to the need to develop within the earth's carrying capacity. The creation and implementation of sustainable development policy is fundamentally a cultural issue. Communication is a cornerstone of culture, as the medium for information exchange and the exercise of power, and the mass media are one of the most important communicators in today's society, exercising considerable influence over culture. The mass media also play a key role in governance and public policy, as a powerful but volatile stakeholder in policy communities. Within the context of the imperatives of sustainable development, planners should be cognizant of their role as social change agents, and use the mass media as a tool to broaden the education, information exchange and dialogue on the sustainability implications o f their projects. Planners can accomplish this most effectively by developing communications plans to accompany policy initiatives. By drawing on theory from many fields, including culture, communications, planning, social change, mass media and policy analysis, and integrating these issues into the practice of communications planning, this thesis proposes some communications planning guidelines, a list of issues to address, and a planning framework to facilitate the development of an hierarchy of communications plans.Applied Science, Faculty ofCommunity and Regional Planning (SCARP), School ofGraduat