Legal effect of public hearing in the sphere of urban planning

The article proves legal effect of public hearing in urban planning as a form of participation of the citizens in local government; reasons against consideration of public hearings to be direct will expression with the involvement of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation as well as academic sources are given. A range of problems dealing with public hearings which are supported by the compulsory force of the state is analyzed. The role of public hearing among numerous forms of participation in local government is stated; the author considers it to be precedence by means of public disputes of several persons’ opinions and those of the state and society.