E-Planning and Public Participation

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 38-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mhairi Aitken
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
Turn Of The Century ◽  
Planning Theory ◽  
Planning Systems ◽  
Participatory Processes ◽  
Planning Methods ◽  
Planning Processes ◽  
Opening Up ◽  
New Inequalities

The challenging nature of public participation in planning has been well-documented and there are frequent observations that this does not go far enough. Accordingly, since the turn of the century attention has turned to the ways in which public participation might be strengthened and improved through e-participation methods. This article aims to explore the extent to which e-planning methods address the long-standing challenges of traditional participation approaches. The article discusses some key themes within the planning theory literature relating to public participation and focusses on two important challenges which are summarised as: 1) Whose voices are heard within participatory processes, and how can less articulate voices be supported? And 2) Who controls participatory processes and to what extent, and in what ways can power be devolved to public participants? Developments in e-planning go some way to addressing these challenges; for example in opening up new channels for public participation and removing barriers to participation. However, e-planning certainly does not represent a panacea and requires critical reflection to ensure that it does not aggravate, rather than alleviate, these problems. For example, reliance on ICTs may risk leading to new inequalities in access to planning systems. Furthermore, questions relating to who participates, and who controls participation in planning processes remain relevant and pressing.

scholarly journals The social and political realities of marine spatial planning: some land-based reflections

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (7) ◽  
pp. 1535-1541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Kidd ◽  
Dave Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Planning ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Political Process ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Planning Theory ◽  
Marine Spatial Planning ◽  
Planning Systems ◽  
Plan Implementation ◽  
Social Nature ◽  
Planning Processes

Abstract This paper highlights the value for marine spatial planning (MSP) of engaging with terrestrial planning theory and practice. It argues that the traditions of reflection, critique, and debate that are a feature of land-based planning can inform the development of richer theoretical underpinnings of MSP as well as MSP practice. The case is illustrated by tempering the view that MSP can be a rational planning process that can follow universal principles and steps by presenting an alternative perspective that sees MSP as a social and political process that is highly differentiated and place-specific. This perspective is discussed with reference to four examples. First, the paper considers why history, culture, and administrative context lead to significant differences in how planning systems are organized. Second, it highlights that planning systems and processes tend to be in constant flux as they respond to changing social and political viewpoints. Third, it discusses why the integration ambitions which are central to “spatial” planning require detailed engagement with locally specific social and political circumstances. Fourth, it focuses on the political and social nature of plan implementation and how different implementation contexts need to inform the design of planning processes and the style of plans produced.

scholarly journals Legal and Organizational Framework for the use of Geoweb Methods for Public Participation in Spatial Planning in Poland: Experiences, Opinions and Challenges

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-175
Author(s):  
Edyta Bąkowska-Waldmann ◽  
Cezary Brudka ◽  
Piotr Jankowski
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Spatial Planning ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Planning Processes ◽  
Organizational Framework ◽  
Public Consultations

Abstract Geoweb methods offer an alternative to commonly used public participation methods in spatial planning. This paper discusses two such geoweb methods – geo-questionnaire and geo-discussion in the context of their initial applications within the spatial planning processes in Poland. The paper presents legal and organizational framework for the implementation of methods, provides their development details, and assesses insights gained from their deployment in the context of spatial planning in Poland. The analysed case studies encompass different spatial scales ranging from major cities in Poland (Poznań and Łódź) to suburban municipalities (Rokietnica and Swarzędz in Poznań Agglomeration). The studies have been substantiated by interviews with urban planners and local authorities on the use and value of Geoweb methods in public consultations.

scholarly journals Civil society participation in the Scottish marine planning process and the role of Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Brooker ◽  
Charlotte Rachael Hopkins ◽  
Emilie Devenport ◽  
Lucy Greenhill ◽  
Calum Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Technical Information ◽  
Public Representation ◽  
Management And Development ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Planning Processes ◽  
Marine Planning

Sustainable development principles are based on the fundamental recognition of humans as an integral part of the ecosystem. Participation of civil society should therefore be central to marine planning processes and enabling ecosystem-based management, and development of mechanisms for effective participation is critical. To date, little attention has been given to the role of Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (ENGOs) in public participation. In this paper, the results of two workshops, which involved various stakeholders and addressed public participation in marine planning, are reported and discussed in the context of the Scottish marine planning process. ENGOs’ role in communicating complex policies, representing members’ interests and contributing towards participatory governance in marine planning is highlighted. Innovative outreach methods are still required by decision-makers to translate technical information, integrate local knowledge, improve public representation and conserve resources. This could include collaboration with ENGOs to help promote public participation in decision-making processes.

Beyond Citizen Participation in Planning

2010 ◽  
pp. 195-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domenico Camarda
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Environmental Planning ◽  
Multi Agent Systems ◽  
Formal Representation ◽  
Agent Interactions ◽  
Planning Methods ◽  
Multi Agent ◽  
Planning Processes ◽  
Continuous Feedback ◽  
Problem Setting

The new complexity of planning knowledge implies innovation of planning methods, in both substance and procedure. The development of multi-agent cognitive processes, particularly when the agents are diverse and dynamically associated to their interaction arenas, may have manifold implications. In particular, interesting aspects are scale problems of distributed interaction, continuous feedback on problem setting, language and representation (formal, informal, hybrid, etc.) differences among agents (Bousquet, Le Page, 2004). In this concern, an increasing number of experiences on multi-agent interactions are today located within the processes of spatial and environmental planning. Yet, the upcoming presence of different human agents often acting au paire with artificial agents in a social physical environment (see, e.g., with sensors or data-mining routines) often suggests the use of hybrid MAS-based approaches (Al-Kodmany, 2002; Ron, 2005). In this framework, the chapter will scan experiences on the setting up of cooperative multi-agent systems, in order to investigate the potentials of that approach on the interaction of agents in planning processes, beyond participatory planning as such. This investigation will reflect on agent roles, behaviours, actions in planning processes themselves. Also, an attempt will be carried out to put down formal representation of supporting architectures for interaction and decision making.

scholarly journals Public participation in British Columbia forest management

2010 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 697-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
H W Harshaw
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Resource Management ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Consensus Building ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Forest Planning And Management ◽  
Planning Processes

Conceptions and challenges of public participation in British Columbia are reviewed to identify those characteristicsof planning processes that serve to benefit or constrain the interests and needs of public stakeholders. Perspectives onpublic participation, including representative and participatory democracies, and approaches to incorporating publicperspectives in decision-making (i.e., shared decision-making, consensus-building, and interest-based negotiation) arepresented to demonstrate the different approaches (and their benefits and challenges) available for providing opportunitiesfor public participation. Lessons from other natural resource management contexts are distilled and used to evaluatethe BC context. Three principal forest planning and management frameworks (the Commission on Resources and theEnvironment, Land and Resource Management Plans, and sustainable forest management certification) are examinedin light of whether meaningful opportunities for public participation were provided.Key words: public participation, British Columbia, Commission on Resources and the Environment, Land and ResourceManagement Plans, sustainable forest management certification

scholarly journals Participatory constitution-building in Fiji: A comparison of the 1993–1997 and the 2012–2013 processes

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 260-276
Author(s):  
Abrak Saati
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
Political Elite ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
Participatory Processes ◽  
Democratic Rule ◽  
Constitution Building ◽  
Established Norm

Abstract Participatory constitution-building during times of transition from war to peace or from authoritarian to democratic rule is quickly becoming an established norm. This article analyzes and compares two Fijian participatory processes; the 1993–1997 process and the 2012–2013 process. The purpose of doing so is to understand the extent to which these processes were genuinely participatory in terms of extending the Fijians’ possibility of influencing the content of the constitution. The article concludes that these processes were merely symbolic in terms of public participation; that there is not much that public participation can achieve in and by itself; and that the sequencing of public participation and secluded political elite negotiations in the context of constitution-building during times of transition is a field of research that is in dire need of further systematic analysis, particularly as an increasing amount of post-conflict and post-authoritarian states endeavor participatory constitution-building.

GENDER AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: A STUDY OF THE SWEDISH PUBLIC DEBATE ON THE NORD STREAM GAS PIPELINE FROM A GENDER PERSPECTIVE

2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (03) ◽  
pp. 1350016 ◽  
Author(s):  
MISSE WESTER ◽  
CAMILLA MÖRN
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
Public Debate ◽  
Gas Pipeline ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Gender Perspective ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Negative View ◽  
Participatory Processes ◽  
Nord Stream

This article focuses on public participation in Sweden during the planning of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. The pipeline runs from Russia to Germany, and passes close to the Swedish island of Gotland. Results from a survey study conducted among 990 Swedish citizens, where 200 respondents are residents on the island of Gotland, reveal that there are differences between men and women in how risks with this project were perceived. More women than men expressed a desire for more participatory processes, even if they stated that they would not participate themselves. Women on Gotland expressed a more negative view of the gas pipeline and also perceived greater risks. Results indicate that public participation could have been better at addressing gender and regional specific needs.

Democratic tensions in decentralised planning – Rhetoric, legislation and reality in England

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 1324-1339 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Sturzaker ◽  
Michael Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Strong Influence ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Democratic Participation ◽  
Central State ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
Opening Up

The shifting of power from the central state to local and sub-local arenas of governance (labelled as localism or decentralisation) is a common feature of many 21st-century democracies, popular with both the “left” and “right” in political terms. A common justification for this is that it is assumed to be “more democratic” than the alternative. The superficiality of this assumption, however, conceals much tension and complexity, not least potential tensions between different variants of “democracy”. This paper explores this tension and complexity using the example of the new neighbourhood planning powers in England, introduced through the 2011 Localism Act, which combine representative and direct forms of democracy, and promote public participation. We will argue that whilst opening up new channels for democratic participation by citizens, the reforms introduced in 2011, and similar moves towards decentralisation of (planning) powers elsewhere, may be insufficiently cognisant of power dynamics at the local and community scales, leading to various sets of tensions between the actors involved. We conclude that how the actors respond to these tensions will have a strong influence on the success or otherwise of this experiment with planning and democracy.

Participatory planning in a low-income neighbourhood in Ontario, Canada: building capacity and collaborative interactions for influence

2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 622-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tessa F Nasca ◽  
Nadine Changfoot ◽  
Stephen D Hill
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
City Planning ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Participatory Planning ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Planning Theory ◽  
Collaborative Interactions ◽  
Quality Of Urban Life ◽  
Planning Processes ◽  
Planning Experts

AbstractThis research evaluated a community-led participatory planning process that sought to involve citizens who are often marginalized within planning processes. Participatory planning – which is theoretically informed by communicative planning theory – may shift the legacy of power and marginalization within planning processes and improve planning outcomes, foster social cohesion, and enhance the quality of urban life. The two-year Stewart Street Active Neighbourhoods Canada (ANC) project aimed to build capacity among residents of a low-income neighbourhood in Peterborough, Ontario and to influence City planning processes impacting the neighbourhood. The project, led by a community-based organization, GreenUP, fostered collaborative interactions between residents and planning experts and supported residents to build and leverage collective power within planning processes. The participatory planning approach applied in the Stewart Street ANC transformed – and at times unintentionally reproduced – inequitable power relations within the planning process. Importantly, we found that GreenUP was a vital power broker between marginalized residents and more formal power holders, and successfully supported residents to voice their collective visions within professionalized planning contexts.

Public Values and Public Participation: A Case of Collaborative Governance of a Planning Process

2020 ◽  
pp. 027507402095639
Author(s):  
Jill K. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Collaborative Governance ◽  
Power Sharing ◽  
Public Values ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Planning Processes

Research on public participation in community planning processes often focuses on the design of participation activities and the tensions therein. Past research, however, gives little attention to the question of who makes these design decisions, what public values they hold, and how those values affect decisions about design. Addressing this gap, this study empirically illustrates the connection between public value frames, design choices, and public participation in a collaborative policymaking process. The case analyzed is a local public planning process designed collaboratively by public and private organizations. The analysis uses participant observation, documents, and interviews. Results demonstrate how effective collaborative governance of the design process and interorganizational power-sharing forced partners to reveal, recognize, and interrogate their own public values while navigating others’ values. The collaborative governance of the planning process allowed the organizations to capitalize on, rather than suffer from, differences in values frames by changing tensions in planning to opportunities and increasing equity in public participation. Findings suggest that research attention should be aimed not just at which stakeholders are invited to participate (and how), but at who designs the participation agenda in the first place. Furthermore, findings suggest that public values frame reflection and collaborative governance of participation design can be key practices improving planning and policy outputs.

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