Community participation requires stakeholders to assume greater responsibility for assessing the needs and obtaining solutions for the protection and sustainable development and operation of their community.  Community participation involves contributing ideas, making decisions, and taking responsibility.

Democracy calls for stakeholder participation and responsibility within community governance.  In true democratic participation, power and control are shared by the civic stakeholders – citizens, social partners, and civil society organizations, allowing them to exercise the power to influence the decisions of government authorities that affect their lives.

Community participation is a basic human right and a fundamental principle of democracy.  A truly democratic society is built upon the active and responsible participation of its citizens and other civic stakeholders and their success depends on strong, effective, accountable local authorities and high-quality local governance.

The maintenance of democracy in our communities relies on the direct participation of its civic stakeholders in their further development and operation.  Where citizens are the source of all government power, we exercise this power and civic responsibility directly and through elected representatives.

Stakeholder participation influences community decisions and allows for the engagement of the community in decision-making and for stakeholders to exercise their civic responsibility to manage, control and govern the local built environment.  This includes the planning, monitoring and governance of programs, creating and maintaining organizations in support of these efforts, and evaluating the effects and adjusting goals and programs on an ongoing basis.

A community’s stakeholders must interact to advance the sustainable development and use of land, buildings and infrastructure.  BuildAction facilitates the required communication, collaboration, cooperation and coordination of collaborative action.

The sustainable development of communities calls for stakeholder collaboration and cooperation to realize shared goals.  Citizens must bear the responsibility for their society if they are to benefit from its development and operation and the protection of their rights.