Government is an inescapable authority in urban planning.  This relationship largely arose out of necessity; one example is the creation of Euclidean zoning in American cities, where smoke-billowing factories where built across the street from high-density residential neighborhoods, which proved to have drastic health impacts.  The government’s function has always been to uphold citizen’s basic health, safety and welfare, and it is likely that you would hear different responses from different people as to how successfully government meets this requirement.  Each government approaches this requirement differently, with various committees, task forces, and agencies.  What has proved important in planning efforts in recent years is that there is a clear vehicle for public input to contribute to a process led by or funded by government.