This comparison study addresses the community participation methods used in the planning of three Seattle area parks. While sharing several attributes, the three examples of park space vary in size and type of planning project. The difference in scale provided me the opportunity to observe the effects and influence of scale on community participation. This study further explores the need for developing different community participation methodologies that respond to the specific concerns of different scaled projects. This examination of three case studies focuses on the individual experiences of design professionals, agency staff, and citizens working with community participation. The need for effective participation methods in planning is very important to our future, as we try to integrate, into our decision-making processes, the increasing number of safety, health, and environmental concerns that exist in our communities. The purpose of this study is to investigate how community participation for three local parks is currently used and to discover what changes could be made to create a more successful process.

A vast literature review examines many publications concerning the evolution, power, purpose, benefits, costs, and structure of community participation. The effects and influence of scale on park planning has not been researched until now. The study is a comparison of three parks, each involved at one time or another with community participation. Interviews, field observations, and participation were the main tools used to collect information.