earticle

영어

This study analyzes how international development cooperation projects in urban planning can fail to achieve balanced outcomes when community participation is distorted, focusing on Zanzibar’s “Green Corridor” project in Tanzania as an example of transforming a vehicle-oriented main road into a sustainable, pedestrian-friendly street. This research reveals how normative goals (e.g., environmental protection, walkability) can overshadow functional needs (e.g., mobility, economic viability) if resident input is not appropriately managed. Through participatory observation, surveys, and stakeholder analysis, this study identifies how biased representation, incomplete information, and limited planner’s intervention can exacerbate goal imbalances, undermine consensus, and reduce project feasibility. Rather than ensuring context-sensitive solutions, poorly designed participatory processes can validate unrealistic ideals. This research suggests that planners must adopt a more proactive role, acting as both mediators and verifiers, in addition to their traditional technical functions. By balancing diverse interests, rectifying skewed feedback, and grounding decisions in solid evidence, this research offers practical insights into developing more equitable, sustainable urban plans in international development contexts.