This case study of a Massachusetts planning board analyzes the political sources of an activist and progressive local planning program. The author, a participant-observer, argues that this board's success was rooted in several factors: effective organization of board and staff, productive public relations, cultivation of a diverse coalition in support of board initiatives, a strong local belief in active and fair local government, and geographic and socioeconomic independence from metropoli tan dynamics. The advantages of activist boards for effective and legitimate planning are discussed.
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