Multiple Dimensions of Citizen Participation in Spatial Planning

Abstract

Pluralist and one-dimensional views are prevalent in the analysis of citizen
participation processes linked to spatial planning processes. This article
examines the defi nitions of such processes as proposed by authors with
elitist, confl ictualist and, in general, multi-dimensional perspectives. Their
contributions provide more suitable theoretical frameworks for social
investigation purposes and highlight important variables such as the role of
experts, the origin of participatory initiatives and their socio-political consequences.
We maintain that multi-dimensional perspectives offer a more
comprehensive approach to the analysis of urban policies in which citizen
participation is embedded. Hence, the article focuses on four multi-dimensional
approaches, their main differentiating features, and the ways in which
they represent an alternative to one-dimensional conceptions of citizen
participation in terms of the collective exercise of power and the actors and
methods involved.