Towards a collective urban vision? An analysis of ‘rethink London’ official plan review using a collaborative planning framework

The City of London, Ontario (Canada) launched Rethink London (2012–2014) as a community-focused initiative to engage diverse stakeholders in shaping the city’s long-term urban vision during its Official Plan review process. While Rethink London resulted in the adoption of The London Plan in 2016, there has been no systematic evaluation of the process through the lens of a collaborative planning framework. This paper evaluates how far Rethink London reflects collaborative planning principles, focusing on purpose and incentives, equal opportunity and resources, inclusive representation, and principled negotiation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with municipal officials, councillors, public engagement consultants and community leaders. While Rethink London grappled with conflicting interests, the process fostered broader stakeholder engagement through tailored participatory methods such as comment cards, workshop in a box and social media among others. The study highlights the importance of intentional process design to enhance engagement and equity in complex urban planning.