Q.

A.

There may initially be a populist element in residents’ priority setting (eg around headline issues such as youth behaviour, the physical environment etc.) The aim over time is for citizens to become more knowledgeable, in general terms, of issues affecting their neighbourhood, and thus come to make more informed decisions over time. The Brazilian experience over the last 25 years provides evidence in support of this aspiration. In terms of people turning out ‘en masse’ in support of particular projects, this can happen, and needs to be addressed  in the way most appropriate to local conditions and with the endorsement of  the participants themselves.