Local planning in today Latin American faces serious problems derived from certain practices which have characterized it in the past. Among them it may be mentioned the excessive formalism, a strongly centralized conception of planning, burocratization, etc. The author postulates the need for a new type of local planning. The new approach has to be able to consider the arguments which appraise the importance of the local environment with all its limits. A set of methodological requirements to allow achieving the goals of effective participation and pragmatic soundness, is also outlined.