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In education, as in other institutional systems, decisions about school facilities tend to be made by a few people who are not the direct building users, often ignoring the direct involvement of teachers and students. This book presents guidance for creating a constructive dialogue between school officials and the surrounding community on a school planning process that contributes to enhancing educational quality. The benefits of community participation are addressed as are descriptions of the principle parts of the participation process, including strategic planning, goal setting, and long term planning. Case studies were selected because each addresses community and user participation as an integral part of the school planning process. The case studies propose a humanistic approach to school planning that would be beneficial for educators, school administrators, policy makers and architects who are interested in engaging users in the planning process.

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Henry Sanoff,AIA, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Architecture, College of Design, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA

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