Develop educational programs and workshops to inform citizens about policies and issues. Encourage citizens to get into the planning process early. Technocracy Like law or medicine, planning is a complex, technical field. The citizens may see their lack of knowledge about planning and the planner's extensive knowledge as a powerful combination of forces working against them. That puts the citizen on the defensive.
Most planners intend to be helpful and want to put the citizen at ease.
But sometimes the citizen still feels intimidated. Such intimidation usually grows out of three problems. The third is impatience, often brought on by inadequate staffing. Planners who are being deluged by permit applications are less likely to be patient and diplomatic with every citizen who comes to the permit counter. Planners do not purposely try to communicate badly or to be paternalistic.