Citizen Participation In Processes Research Articles

Extended reality for citizen participation: A conceptual framework, systematic review and research agenda

This paper explores the integration of Extended Reality (XR) technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), into citizen participation processes, a crucial yet challenging area in urban planning and smart city management. Despite the potential of XR, the existing literature remains scattered and often lacks practical application guidelines, hindering a full understanding of XR's potential to enhance democratic engagement. Through a systematic literature review, this study consolidates existing knowledge with an e-participation theoretical lens, spanning various disciplines, to provide a cohesive analysis of XR's role and potential. The study critically examines the empirical literature and suggests a conceptual framework consisting of several analysis themes: the contextual elements driving the use of XR by stakeholders, the characteristics of the technologies used, and outcomes of the use of XR. Leveraging this framework, we outline six future research directions, emphasizing the need to longitudinally study organizational implications of XR use beyond punctual user studies, extending the use cases to other political areas beyond urban planning, and investigating the creation of new realities as channels for effective and creative participation. The conceptual framework is also translated to a canvas for practitioners for the design of future XR-enabled participation initiatives.

Citizen participation processes in mental health: Does it help or worsen things?

Citizen participation processes in mental health: Does it help or worsen things?

The importance of citizen participation in improving comfort and health in obsolete neighbourhoods affected by energy poverty

This study analyses comfort and health in obsolete neighbourhoods in regions with high rates of energy poverty. The Polígono San Pablo in the city of Seville, Spain has been chosen as a case study.The research aims to highlight the importance of including participatory processes in the analysis of human rights issues, such as energy poverty. A hybrid and interdisciplinary methodology is presented which incorporates a citizen participation process. The aim is to use this methodology to identify how an obsolete building stock and lack of access to a basic energy service may be affecting people's health.The main results obtained show the need to include citizen consultation to identify shortcomings and potentialities in obsolete neighbourhoods, especially in terms of energy education. This is expected to contribute to the creation of more effective local energy policies to address the multidimensional problem of energy poverty.

Place-bound planning support systems for deliberation: Affording better communication and comprehension

Despite planning support systems (PSS) becoming increasingly useful for citizen participation processes, the effects of such systems’ material and spatial setup on citizen participation processes still need to be studied. PSS have long been equated to software- and data-based technologies, and only little attention has been put on place-bound PSS that prescribe onsite face-to-face collaboration. As closing the ‘implementation gap’ requires extensive conceptualisation, description, and critical analysis of different ideal types, workings, and use cases of PSS, this study researches this understudied place-bound type of PSS. More precisely, this study uses empirical material from Haifa’s 3 S Lab to contribute to closing the implementation gap by identifying place-bound PSS – an under-studied type of PSS – as useful for deliberative decision-making – an overlooked implementation context. This research advances the conceptualisation of PSS by discussing place-bound PSS and their hypothesised utility, practical setup, and empirically tested benefits for deliberative citizen participation. We find that the benefits of place-bound PSS for planning lie in deliberative affordances that ease the communication and comprehension deficiencies that often plague deliberative citizen participation processes. As place-bound PSS, the 3 S Lab provides an immersive shared space that improves communication, while its interactive visualisation techniques afford improved comprehension of complex urban issues.

스마트도시사업 조성을 위한 중소도시 리빙랩 운영 사례

This study synthesized case studies of living labs in small and medium-sized cities among various types of projects that have been carried out by local governments as part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's smart city development project. In particular, we derived a plan that can be used as a reference when promoting smart city development projects. Smart cities have been in the spotlight around the world as an alternative urban design method to solve urban problems and improve the quality of life of residents. Likewise, smart city development projects are becoming established in local governments through various public offering projects of central ministries. However, although it is recommended to have a bottom-up process of citizen participation in smart city creation, the weight of the discussion is different in each region, so a systematic discussion to standardize it was necessary. Therefore, solving social problems and social demands can no longer be considered only local issues, and this also applies to the creation of smart cities. In the end, in order to operate a smart city living lab sustainably and successfully, it is necessary to organize learning-evolving subject-specific communication activities along with online and offline-based feedback, which is left as a task for the next research.

Local conflicts and citizen participation in the German energy transition: Quantitative findings on the relationship between conflict and participation

The expansion of wind energy is accompanied by numerous local conflicts. Dialogue-oriented and financial citizen participation processes are seen as instruments to increase local acceptance. So far, no information is available when, how often and under which circumstances conflicts arise. Moreover, there are no quantitative empirical findings on the relationship between conflicts and participation procedures. The article addresses this research gap. Based on quantitative Data on conflicts and participation procedures in the expansion of wind energy in Lower Saxony, the article shows that local conflicts often occur where new wind farms are planned. Repowering or the expansion of existing wind farms is less likely to be accompanied by conflicts. In addition, there seems to be habituation effects. This means that in municipalities where many wind turbines are already in operation, there are fewer conflicts than in municipalities with fewer wind turbines. The multiple correlation analysis shows a clear correlation between the occurrence of local conflicts and the availability of dialogue-oriented and financial participation procedures. The question of whether the conflict is a consequence of the participation process or whether the participation process is a consequence of the conflict cannot be answered. Further research is needed to answer this question.

The public’s preferred level of involvement in local policy-making

We investigated what people consider the optimal level of citizen involvement in local policy decision-making. This is an important question to answer, given that civil servants and politicians are increasingly confronted with the pressure to add a participatory layer to representative democratic policy-making. Across five empirical studies (total N = 1470), we consistently found that, overall, the most preferred decision-making model is a balanced model in which citizens and the government are equally involved. Despite this preferred ‘overall’ pattern of equal involvement, we identified three subgroups within the citizenry with different preference curves: Some citizens prefer a model in which citizens and the government are truly equal partners, whereas others prefer a model in which either the government or citizens are relatively more involved in the policy decision-making process. The main contribution of our work is thus that we identified a perceived ‘overall’ optimal level of citizen engagement, and variations to that optimum depending on citizens’ individual traits. This information might be helpful to policy-makers in developing effective citizen participation processes.

Citizen Perception and Ex Ante Acceptance of a Low-Emission Zone Implementation in a Medium-Sized Spanish City

The public decision-making process at the municipal level becomes extremely complicated for government managers when unpopular measures must be adopted. In this sense, citizen participation processes become a tool of undoubted added value that allows municipalities to adapt their policies to the needs and feelings of their inhabitants. The aim of this research was to focus on addressing the point of view of the citizens of a medium-sized Spanish city in the face of the imminent implementation of a low-emission zone, in order to identify which aspects were of concern to citizens. The methodology used in the research was based on a declared preferences survey that allowed us to determine the daily behaviour of the user in terms of urban mobility and to anticipate the citizen’s reaction to the implementation of socially unacceptable initiatives, such as restrictions on access, circulation, and the parking of vehicles. The results obtained in relation to the consultation on alternative measures to tackle pollution, noise and traffic jams showed that citizens are receptive to improvements in universal accessibility, subsidies for public transport, increased road safety for PMV’s infrastructure, subsidies for the purchase of environmentally friendly vehicles and PMV, and the promotion of pedestrianisation. However, there are undoubted threats to the implementation of the LEZ, such as the lack of acceptance of the measure. Therefore, it is considered imperative for public administrations to work on the search for sustainable actions that contribute to improving the degree of compliance with the measure, while at the same time making an effort to disseminate the advantages of the LEZ for the quality of life and health of citizens (through information campaigns). There is a knowledge gap in scientific research on the ex ante assessment of the effects of possible transport measures to improve air quality in city centres and consultation through citizen participation. It is estimated that the resolution of this research gap could contribute to a more feasible, reasonable, and effective implementation of various urban mobility policies in medium-sized Spanish cities.

Eventful policies, public spaces and neoliberal citizenship: Lessons from Glasgow

Over the last three decades, festivals and events staged in public spaces have been an important element in the neoliberal regeneration of cities. However, so-called festivalisation strategies have been subject to criticism for their focus on economic imperatives to the detriment of the lives of urban residents. In many cities of the Global North, in particular, these debates have been accompanied by increasing calls for forms of urban governance that give more weight to local democratic processes and practices. This paper analyses these debates, focusing on the Scottish city of Glasgow, where the staging of festivals and events has long been a key factor in the city's rebranding. In recent years, city leaders have created processes designed to ensure that the voices of local people are heard. We analyse to what extent this turn towards more inclusive rhetoric is translated into practice when policy and planning processes are still governed by economic growth logics. We show how citizen participation and engagement processes to consult residents about the use of public spaces for festivals and events reinforce narratives of neoliberal citizenship, primarily acting to assimilate and neutralize opposition, rather than sharing power and decision-making with local citizens. The implementation of these policies in Glasgow represents an emblematic illustration of the neoliberal governance logics which prevent the local state from granting an increased role to citizens and local organizations, particularly in cities of the Global North. However, we conclude by highlighting some potentially fruitful new avenues to support greater transparency and accountability in public space governance.

Randomly Selected Citizens - The Sorcerer's Stone of e-Participation?

e-Participation has one commonly acknowledged major weakness: The people actually participating often do not represent the whole population of the respective political entity, severe biases can be observed with respect to overrepresentation of some groups and underrepresentation of other. Unfortunately, there is, according to our knowledge, no much systematic empirical evidence of citizen participation processes available; at least in Baden-Württemberg. Participation is still, like in ancient democracies, restricted to those who can afford the time budget necessary. In ancient Athens merchants, craftsmen etc. had only little time for politics whilst others, especially landlords, heirs and noblemen had the necessary resources to devote more time to politics, so both a regular compensation and a random selection for mandatory political duty were introduced. Such a random selection is still established in our contemporary societies, above all regarding jury duty. The paper analyzes the strength and weaknesses of such a random selection and whether it contributes to the functioning of e-participation. Finally, it gives some advice in order to improve eparticipation and, in general, all participation processes.

Основні характеристики участі громадян у місцевому самоврядуванні

The article provides a theoretical analysis of the essence of the process of citizen participation in local self-government. It is determined that public participation in local government should be understood as: independent participation of citizens (general public) in local self-government, in the forms of direct democracy; legalization of the activity of local self-government bodies by citizens through the exercise of suffrage and control rights; proper participation of citizens, social actors in decision-making and performance of the State tasks, including services, by local self-government bodies in the field of local, territorial or regional affairs, as well as the State affairs. It is noted that the existing scientific developments and the carried out analysis allowed to concludeaboutthe need to study public participation in local self-government based on the specification of key characteristics, namely the levels, forms and mechanisms of participation. The the groups of levels of public participation in local self-government and the hierarchy of the process of public participation depending on the level of public influence are interpreted according to the Sherry Arnstein classification. The practices of democratic countries regarding community participation in local affairs and direct participation in local self-government are analyzed and singled out. It is determined that one of the main tasks in this issue is the cooperation of citizens with the authorities to address pressing issues of national and local importance, which can be achieved through the introduction of direct forms of citizen participation in local self-government. Ukraine is actively transforming democratic processes and gradually forming a strong and active civil society. One of the main tasks in this issue is the cooperation of citizens with the authorities to address pressing issues of national and local importance, which can be achieved through the introduction of direct forms of citizen participation in local self-government. The key characteristics of the implementation of citizen participation in local self-government are given.

‘Answer in any way you want’: Discursive tensions in conversations of a citizen participation process

This paper contributes to empirical knowledge of citizen participation as a communicative event, by analyzing discursive tensions in interviews between civil servants and citizen-parents, that are part of a participatory process on how to mitigate violence in a suburban area in Sweden. Citizen participation events are increasingly initiated by public institutions in Western societies. Research, however, shows that goals of participatory processes often conflict with formal decision-making structures and institutional boundaries. Yet, how such tensions play out on the level of interaction is little researched. This study therefore analyzes discursive practices deployed by civil servants and how these construct characteristic tensions for the interviews. Three practices are identified: (1) pursuing the initial question, (2) cueing an institutional frame, and (3) epistemic positioning of the parents. These practices, being guided by an institutional agenda, create tensions both to the parents’ lifeworld and for the ideals of the participatory method itself.

Social Participation as a Tool for Protection and Enhancement of Las Loras UNESCO Global Geopark Paleontological Heritage (Spain)

For many years, even before it was designated as Las Loras UNESCO Global Geopark, work was carried out to promote and protect the geological heritage of the territory. To this end, an innovative model of governance was introduced, involving local people in the management of heritage by means of citizen participation processes and Geo-volunteering. This work with the local public is enabling the collaboration of private collectors in paleontological exhibitions, geotourism activities, research and even permanent donations of collections, and land management and maintenance agreements for sites of interest. The outcome of all this work is an increase in pride and sense of belonging for the local population. Simultaneously, a program of geoeducation in schools within the Geopark has been carried out for many years with outstanding results.

Mit den Menschen für die Menschen planen. Praktikentheorien, Planungskoalitionen und die Treffpunkte der Drogen- und Alkoholabhängigen in Kiel-Gaarden

This paper shows how publicly accessible places like the gathering places of street drinkers and drug addicted are being shaped and defined by practices as banal andmundane as the collective consumption of alcoholic drinks. In a classical view it is the role of spatial planners on different scales to design these places and to specify how they can be used. In scientific as well as societal debates planning processes are therefore usually located in administration offices, plenary halls of the government or citizen-participation processes. On the contrary, this paper proposes a different understanding of spatial planning. Following current practice-theoretical debates the practices of planners as well as the practices the members of the drinking community perform are conceptualised as a constitutive part of the planning process. As a consequence the planning process itself does not only take place in offices and plenary halls. Instead the site of planning shifts (at least partly) to the gathering places in public space and the street drinkers themselves become planners, who shape their places through the performance of collective drinking-practices.

Imagining the future with citizens: participatory foresight and democratic policy design in Marcoussis, France

The idea that the future is too serious and strategic to be discussed with people who are not “experts” is so commonly shared that citizens’ voices are lacking in most decision-making processes and future-oriented choices whether we look at political or research and innovation agendas. Yet, proofs to contradict this vision are now multiplying and can be found in a growing number of case studies and scientific publications. Citizens are proving not only to be legitimate actors to contribute to the future agenda-setting of local, national or European levels but also relevant and pertinent contributors. However, this practice of participatory agenda-setting—even though it is getting greater attention—remains relatively experimental, atypical and sporadic. The limits and drawbacks of citizen participation processes have already been highlighted in the literature but rather than calling this practice to an end it actually calls for more experimentation as the difficulties do not diminish the democratic need, legitimacy and value of such governance practices. Especially, since many western democracies are becoming very fragile. We will see in the preliminary part of this paper, the many challenges that undermine not only the functioning of democratic processes but also the citizens’ role and sense of agency in the governance of the society they live in, as well as the role of elected officials and experts regarding agenda-setting, then we will look into the lack of future thinking not only in the political sphere but also the educational and social practices, analyze the values of participatory processes and its potential limits and risks and finally review an experimental case of participatory foresight and policy design from the small town of Marcoussis (France) which successfully conducted a participatory agenda-setting experiment—and voted—after a 2 years-long process, their local agenda for the future together with its inhabitants, civil servants and elected officials. Marcoussis has engaged around 600 people (out of a population of 8000 inhabitants) in 25 moments, using very diverse methods and techniques (forum-theater, philosophy talks, market of ideas for the future, collective distillation) and setting the process in unusual and non-administrative contexts (entering into schools, ‘hacking’ their local popular festivals) to touch a very diverse set of citizens and gather as many contributions as possible. In this case analysis, we will inspect the preliminary conditions of how Marcoussis set up their participatory foresight and agenda-setting process, then review the creative tools and design methods that were experimented and finally, draw the lessons learned in terms of participatory agenda-setting processes and democratic innovations.

La consulta popular en México. Una propuesta para el fortalecimiento de su diseño institucional a partir de experiencias normativas latinoamericanas

El diseño institucional de consulta popular que prima en México representa un considerable avance normativo en la materia. Sin embargo, la complejidad de requisitos, la restricción en las materias de consulta y el interés del poder legislativo por privilegiar la decisión política sobre la petición de consulta dificultan su operacionalización y restringen la participación de la ciudadanía en los asuntos públicos del país, puesto que la única vía para que esta se dé continúa siendo el ejercicio del voto para efectos de la democracia representativa. En ese sentido, esta contribución académica analiza el diseño institucional mexicano de la consulta popular a fin de identificar aquellos aspectos que dificultan su ejercicio. Para ello, se parte de la revisión de la concepción del fenómeno de consulta popular y de las experiencias normativas que países latinoamericanos como Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador y Perú han configurado para regular este mecanismo de participación ciudadana. Ello permitirá aportar elementos que contribuyan al fortalecimiento de la consulta popular como mecanismo de democracia directa en México.

Quality assurance processes in local government bodies: features of definition and evaluation

The article is devoted to the definition of modern approaches to the identification and evaluation of quality assurance processes in local government, as a basis for the formation of appropriate local government management systems. It is noted that quality assurance in local government should begin with an intensive study of internal relationships between existing management processes – the implementation of a process approach methodology. To outline approaches to the processes’ definition and description that ensure the local government activities and services quality, a relationships’ scheme between the basic concepts of DSTU ISO 9000:2015 in relation to processes and results of activities. Emphasis is placed on the fact that the application of ISO 18091:2019 guidelines on adapting the process approach to local government bodies’ activities is extremely important in Ukraine, given the need to form a comprehensive control system in the field of administrative services delivery and increase the civil society institutions’ participation in relevant public monitoring projects. Adaptation provides by distinguishing of: three groups of processes for integral quality management (management processes; operational processes; support processes); improvement process; processes of citizen participation through Integral Citizen Observatory that facilitate cooperation between government and the community, as well as participate in monitoring processes. The tested approach to process measurement according to the CAF model, which has criterion 5 «Processes», is characterized. It is concluded that the public management mechanisms of the international standards requirements’ (ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 18091:2019) and organizational excellence models’ (EFQM, CAF, IPMA ICB) implementation need further study as a basis for quality assurance of administrative services provided by local governments. Priority areas include the legal and organizational mechanisms’ formation through the development of a national system of administrative services’ standards and administrative regulations and their projection to the territorial communities’ level.

Sustainable Smart City—Opening a Black Box

Cities are becoming digital and are aiming to be sustainable. How they are combining the two is not always apparent from the outside. What we need is a look from inside. In recent years, cities have increasingly called themselves Smart City. This can mean different things, but generally includes a look towards new digital technologies and claim that a Smart City has various advantages for its citizens, roughly in line with the demands of sustainable development. A city can be seen as smart in a narrow sense, technology wise, sustainable or smart and sustainable. Current city rankings, which often evaluate and classify cities in terms of the target dimensions “smart” and “sustainable”, certify that some cities are both. In its most established academic definitions, the Smart City also serves both to improve the quality of life of its citizens and to promote sustainable development. Some cities have obviously managed to combine the two. The question that arises is as follows: What are the underlying processes towards a sustainable Smart City and are cities really using smart tools to make themselves sustainable in the sense of the 2015 United Nations Sustainability Goal 11? This question is to be answered by a method that has not yet been applied in research on cities and smart cities: the innovation biography. Based on evolutionary economics, the innovation biography approaches the process towards a Smart City as an innovation process. It will highlight which actors are involved, how knowledge is shared among them, what form citizen participation processes take and whether the use of digital and smart services within a Smart City leads to a more sustainable city. Such a process-oriented method should show, among other things, to what extent and when sustainability-relevant motives play a role and which actors and citizens are involved in the process at all.

Investigating the Philosophical Origin of Community Education in the Citizen Participation Process from the Perspective of Islamic Realism

Investigating the Philosophical Origin of Community Education in the Citizen Participation Process from the Perspective of Islamic Realism

Governança em saúde pública: mecanismos e critérios avaliativos em processos de participação cidadã

Este ensaio presta-se a uma análise comparativa entre a metodologia do Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU), elaborada para aferir a maturidade da governança nos Conselhos de Saúde brasileiros, e os critérios de avaliação em processos de participação cidadã propostos pelo Instituto de Governo e Políticas Públicas da Universidade Autônoma de Barcelona (IGOP). Inicialmente, este estudo trata da pertinência e para a representatividade dos Conselhos de Saúde no contexto local em que se situam. Em seguida, discorre-se sobre as fragilidades estruturais e a preocupante incipiência de tais colegiados nas questões atinentes à governança pública. Quanto aos resultados alcançados, o trabalho revelou que os modelos do TCU e do IGOP, embora tenham sido desenvolvidos para atender a demandas e a realidades diversas, quando confrontados entre si, apresentaram diversos pontos de convergência. De modo que, ressalvadas as adaptações necessárias, as matrizes buscam cumprir o mesmo objetivo, qual seja: instrumentalizar a população a realizar um controle social das políticas públicas, de forma mais eficiente, eficaz e efetiva.