Abstract
Based on the critical stance of citizens towards urban planning, growing attention has been directed towards new forms of citizen participation. A key expectation is that advanced digital technologies will reconnect citizens and decision makers and enhance trust in planning. However, empirical evidence suggests participation by itself does not foster trust, and many scholars refer to a general weakness of these initiatives to deliver the expected outcomes. Considering that trust is reciprocal, this article will switch focus and concentrate on planners’ attitudes towards citizens. Do urban planners generally think that citizens are trustworthy? Even though studies show that public officials are more trusting than people in general, it is possible that they do not trust citizens when interacting with government. However, empirical evidence is scarce. While there is plenty of research on citizens’ trust in government, public officials trust in citizens has received little scholarly attention. To address this gap, we will draw on a survey targeted to a representative sample of public managers in Swedish local government (N = 1430). First, urban planners will be compared with other public officials when it comes to their level of trust toward citizens’ ability, integrity and benevolence. In order to understand variations in trust, a set of institutional factors will thereafter be tested, along with more commonly used individual factors. In light of the empirical findings, the final section of the article returns to the idea of e-participation as a trust-building strategy. What would make planners trust the citizens in participatory urban planning?
Highlights
Urban planning needs to undertake a process of transformative change to foster economic growth, social cohesion and environmental protection in line with sustainable development goals (United Nations, 2015)
The aim of this article is to expand knowledge about urban planners’ trust in citizens: Do they think that citizens are trustworthy? What individual and institutional factors influence their trust in citizens? What would make planners trust the citizens in participatory urban planning? To date, empirical research has primarily emphasized individual micro-determinants of public officials’ trust-perceptions
Empirical research indicates public officials strongly support the idea of citizen participation in the abstract
Summary
Urban planning needs to undertake a process of transformative change to foster economic growth, social cohesion and environmental protection in line with sustainable development goals (United Nations, 2015). This will require, among other things, public support and trust. Contemporary planning is identified as mistrusted for its bureaucratic nature, its incapacity to understand and work for citizens, and its bias towards business interests (Tait & Hansen, 2007). In the pursuit of trust, new forms of participation proliferate in urban governance. Democratic innovations (Smith, 2009), co-production of services (Alford, 2009), and participatory planning (Innes & Booher, 2004) all represent popular initiatives for promoting direct citizen participation in policy-making. With help of new information and communication technologies, the methodological quality of these initiatives has improved significantly
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
