Integrating Authority and Public Engagement: West Vancouver's Working Group Model

This study is an example of integrated governance demonstrated by the Rodgers Creek Area Plan working group. The Rodgers Creek working group transformed public policy making from adversarial to consensual. It represents the intersection of local government authority and public participation, through consensus building. Parties with diverse views dealt with their differences and made a series of good decisions. Those most affected became the architects of the recommendations. The study concludes with questions about how the working group model could be applied to First Nations land development in an urban setting. The author of this study was the mayor of West Vancouver during the time the Rodgers Creek working group was formed and made its recommendations.