There is growing awareness of the importance of local knowledge (e.g., locals’ spatial needs, perspectives, and desires) in improving planning deliverables. However, this improvement depends on the availability of local knowledge. This article’s objective is to compare the capabilities of public participation practices and anthropological fieldwork to uncover local knowledge and render it accessible and...

Which participatory practices are most efficacious in capturing local knowledge and incorporating it into plans? This study provides a better understanding of the elements affecting the ability of public participatory practices to enable incorporation of residents’ preferences, ideas, opinions, desires, and needs into plans.