The conflation of community with place in planning is so ubiquitous, and so clearly well intentioned that it almost seems churlish to point out that if there is one thing that a community is not these days, it is a place.

The aim of this paper is to reflect on lessons emerging from the recent Australian and international renewal of interest in engaging citizens and communities in urban planning and development processes.

These guidelines aim to help Councils develop arts and cultural policies. They are designed for people new to policy development, and also to act as a resource for those with more experience or for those reviewing a current policy. They are general in scope and simply indicate valuable processes and stages to follow.