The Ladder of Citizen Participation

The Ladder of Citizen Participation, developed by Sherry Arnstein, illustrates different levels of public involvement in decision-making. It ranges from lower rungs, like merely informing or consulting citizens, where their input is limited, to higher rungs, such as partnership, delegated power, and citizen control, where residents have real influence and decision-making authority. This model helps evaluate how genuinely public input shapes policies or projects, emphasizing that meaningful participation involves shared power and collaboration, rather than just one-way communication. It encourages creating opportunities for citizens to actively shape decisions that affect them.