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Public participation in transport planning amongst the socially excluded: an analysis of 3rd generation Local Transport Plans
Abstract
This paper explores current approaches to the engagement of socially excluded or at risk groups and individuals within the 3rd generation local transport planning (LTP3) process and the policies that resulted. A quantitative content analysis of current policies and engagement techniques found that just over half of the 32 English LTP3s assessed outlined at least one instance where a single ‘at risk’ group was targeted using a specific participation instrument. People with disabilities, children and young people were better represented in these instances than older people and ethnic minorities. No evidence was found of specific initiatives aimed at lone parents or people on low incomes. Within these findings significant regional variation was observed with more initiatives in the North East and East Midlands and fewer initiatives in the East and South East. Notable progress has been made in terms of policy rhetoric however, with many plans containing policies which were aimed at social exclusion in general or ‘at risk’ groups in particular. The link between the participation carried out and the eventual policy was not clear, partly because the LTP3s assessed were not explicit about the links between instances of participation and specific policies. This paper considers the implications of these findings on UK policy and suggests that much more needs to be done to engage with socially excluded groups, especially when their reliance on local authority supported transport services is so critical.
... The FYP must consider the requirements of the 33 administrative division as well as the National and higher-level administrative divisions' FYPs. After an initial 34 consultation draft is prepared, it is circulated for advisory input from other commissions/ministries of the local 35 authorities, lower-ranking administrative divisions, outside experts, and the public. The FYP is then finalized by the 36 standing committee of the local authorities' 'People's Congress' and approved by the full 'People's Congress'. ...
... Fifth and finally, 'autonomous vehicles' are not referenced in any of the FYP-Ts in 2010, and when this topic 34 appears in 2020 it is one of the topics with the most strongly positive sentiment. Sentiment towards non-internal- 35 combustion propulsion technologies ('electric vehicles' and 'alternative fuel vehicles' in general) is strongly positive 36 ...
Chinese cities’ Five-Year Plans establish the direction and priorities for their urban transport systems for the subsequent half-decade. In this study, we compiled and then analyzed the document structure and content of the Five-Year Plans for Transport for 23 Chinese cities at two points in time (2010 and 2020). These documents afford a unique opportunity to establish how Chinese transport policies vary across different types of cities during a period of rapid economic growth and transport network development. Using content analysis techniques, we report findings regarding frequency and sentiment (positive/negative) towards a set of traditional and emerging transport planning topics, as well as document legibility (words per sentence, sentences per paragraph, use of graphical content, etc.). Our findings indicate that compared to many western Regional Transport Plans, Chinese Five-Year Plans tend to be more text-heavy than similar documents in western countries, with their length increasing during the 2010s. Furthermore, we demonstrate systematic variability in terms of topic frequencies with respect to cities’ characteristics during the period 2010 to 2020, however the variations in terms of sentiment scores are weaker. More economically advanced cities exhibited a heightened focus on sustainable travel options, negative externalities related to cars, emerging technologies, and equity, whereas less economically developed cities emphasized regional development issues. We also demonstrate an increased focus over time on equity, vehicle technology, and parcel-delivery logistics within the Five-Year Plans. Of the various topics we analyzed, air pollution experienced the greatest decrease over time in sentiment.
... This type of exclusion can be defined as the loss of individuals and groups' ability to establish connections to jobs or services in situations where they are essential for full participation in society (Beyazit, 2011). J. Elvy, defining and describing transport exclusion, suggests that it can occur when people cannot participate partially or fully in everyday activities in the community because of their insufficient mobility in their environment, although this "environment has been built on the assumption of high mobility" areas (Elvy, 2014). ...
... Transport exclusion has a different impact on people living in the affected areas. The current research results indicate that it is possible to identify several distinct social groups at the highest risk: the elderly, children and young people, single parents, disabled people, people without access to a car, and poor people (Elvy, 2014). ...
Social exclusion is a multidimensional phenomenon extending beyond poverty, unemployment, access to various goods and services, but also covering the scope of breakdown of social ties and a sense of isolation as well as dependence on others. This phenomenon affects various social groups, but seniors experience the effects of social exclusion in a special way. This article aims to show how the transport-related social exclusion of seniors influences their psychosocial functioning. The problem of transport-related exclusion in Poland currently affects 13.8 million people living in municipalities where there is no organized public transport. The article tries to answer the question about the extent to which the surveyed seniors experience transportation disadvantage and how the limited access to public transport affects their psychosocial functioning. The obtained results quite clearly indicate that the elderly experience many effects of transport-related exclusion, which has an impact on the quality of their life. The communication exclusion limits their access to health care, which results in decreasing their health. Seniors experience exclusion due to difficult access to public transport, goods and services that affect their life quality. Research shows that seniors feel dependent on others. Restricting contacts with family and friends causes them to feel lonely.
... The social inclusion criteria for participation and policies during this reading was derived from a coding schema grounded in consultation approaches and socially-excluded populations identified in Elvy (2014). These criteria and their presence throughout plans can be viewed in the Results section. ...
... The mailing of brochures detailing plan design procedures to all residents (St. John's) and continuous public engagement over two years at a downtown mall storefront (Saint John) demonstrate proactive outreach to communities with poor news or internet access while simultaneously generating public interest in planning objectives and, ultimately, helping planners to glean insights from non-opinion-leading constituencies (Elvy 2014;Boisjoly and Yengoh 2017). Making its way into the more recent plans, social media facilitates transparent debate among community members about planning issues, particularly benefiting those whose neighbourhood and household circumstances preclude attendance at set-time, brick-and-mortar meetings (Evans-Cowley and Griffin 2012). ...
Canadian policymakers promote walking to meet several goals related to transportation demand management, public health, and economic welfare. However, unequal pedestrian outcomes stubbornly persist across Canadian society. Recent debates at the intersection of social inclusion and transportation policy underscore the responsibility of stakeholders to address such inequalities and promote social engagement among excluded groups in planning procedures and their outcomes. Pedestrian plans are rare opportunities to strategize across the disparate stakeholders impacting walkable spaces—private developers, transit, parks and recreation—yet the social inclusion measures of pedestrian plans remain understudied in Canada and elsewhere. We examine pedestrian plans from 27 municipalities across the country using a social inclusion framework with participation and policy criteria. Results include that Canadian pedestrian plans fall short in promoting social inclusion with infrequent opportunities for collaborative contributions by the public; lacklustre outreach to socially‐excluded stakeholder representatives; and oversight of socioeconomic groups among accountable policies. We discuss recommendations to augment social inclusion in plan development such that socially‐excluded groups can more substantially benefit from accessible and safe walkable spaces conducive to personal well‐being and engagement with society .
... They argue that altered sea water flow, change in sea bed conditions, and marine pollution would adversely affect the region's biodiversity and fish production, threatening Penang's food security. 11 Independent experts and think tanks have questioned the scale of these projects, especially as they will be carried out through privatesector contracts. They feel the plan is too ambitious, and contest the population and ridership assumptions for PTMP. ...
... 10 The EIA is in process and therefore discussion in this paper is limited to the information available from interviews. 11 16 A girl's high school protested over the highway that would take up part of the school's land. An online petition was initiated which received thousands of supporters on social media and the support of a local state assemblywoman. ...
Transportation-related decisions, like many other public policy issues, are complex. They involve multiple stakeholders, often with conflicting interests, and influence multiple sustainability dimensions over space and time. In response to this complexity, governments often make decisions based mainly on advice from experts, offering limited opportunities for public participation in the decision making process. This study examines stakeholder involvement in a transportation plan in Penang, Malaysia. The study employs a qualitative methodology and uses select indicators to evaluate the engagement process. Despite a concerted effort to engage the public, the government failed to resolve conflicts with key stakeholder groups. Three key findings emerge from the assessment: first, a poorly designed process can be counterproductive, resulting in delays and loss of trust; second, involving stakeholders at a later stage limits opportunities for meaningful stakeholder contribution; and third, stakeholder groups can mobilize and shift the balance of political power. For all these reasons and more, decisions in the public arena must go beyond meeting the mandated requirements, and move towards a deliberative process aiming for shared decision-making. The study proposes a set of recommendations for a more effective process.
... 70,71 Strengthening public participation in urban planning is also important to promote health and this requires time, 46,72 particularly to incorporate the health needs of those not typically engaged in planning processes. 25,65,73 Effective collaboration and partnerships between health professionals, planning professionals, advocates and the public requires a common language to be developed. 28,49 Successful communication may involve focusing messaging on key local issues, being positive in representations and recognising the complexity of the issues at hand. ...
Objectives: Urban transport is an important determinant of population health. Ensuring health is well considered in urban transport planning is important to create healthy cities, healthy populations and sustainable societies. This review aimed to describe how health is considered in urban transport planning. Study design: A narrative literature review was conducted. Methods: Eligible literature included research articles, review articles, perspective articles, policy reports and technical reports published in English since 2013. PubMed, the Transport Research Integrated Database and grey literature sources were searched. Results: Seventy articles were included, predominantly from high-income countries. Findings indicated that while urban transport is well recognised as a determinant of health, health considerations are often underprioritized in urban transport planning. Key issues identified included systemic power imbalances favouring car-orientated planning, insufficient legislative frameworks to promote health, the non-holistic assessment of health impacts in established environmental assessment processes, transport appraisal methodologies which undervalued health and differences between the health and planning professions in their preferred sources of evidence with associated challenges in knowledge translation. A consistent theme in the literature was that a strategic approach needed to be taken to improve how health is considered in urban transport planning and central to this was building relationships to enable collaborative and partnership working. Conclusion: Health was poorly considered in urban transport planning. Contributing issues related to power, legislation, impact assessment and knowledge translation. A strategic approach is important to address these issues.
... The analysis of the literature on the subject allows distinguishing several typical social groups that are particularly exposed to the risk of exclusion stemming from the lack of access to public transport, i.e., elderly people, children and adolescents, single parents, disabled persons, persons without access to a car and the poor (Elvy, 204;Białobrzeska, 2022). ...
The phenomenon of social exclusion is an interdisciplinary issue whose multidimensional perspective extends beyond poverty, unemployment, and access to various goods and services. It encompasses issues such as the breakdown of social bonds, feelings of isolation, and dependence on others. Social exclusion affects numerous social groups; however, some are particularly vulnerable, becoming primary recipients of its adverse effects. These especially vulnerable groups include the elderly, people with disabilities, and children and youth. The aim of this article is to highlight the issue of transport exclusion, exploring potential solutions through the perspectives of both those who experience it in their daily lives and local government officials and social activists striving to address this pressing social challenge.
The findings presented in the article indicate that solving the problem of transport exclusion goes beyond merely restoring regular transportation links; it requires a systemic approach that considers various types of interventions, including educational initiatives. Social inclusion for individuals who have experienced such exclusion for many years should involve actions aimed at creating a predictable and regular transportation system for all transport-excluded localities, developing transport infrastructure, and simultaneously implementing educational measures targeted at residents of areas with low transport accessibility. Over the years, these individuals have developed survival strategies that hinder social development and participation.
Such a transformation, however, requires the social revitalization of residents of transport-excluded areas, grounded in education and social activation within local communities. This process should be facilitated by local leaders and social organizations, which can play a key role in fostering social integration and supporting the active engagement of individuals experiencing exclusion. Education offers the opportunity to develop new strategies for the functioning of individuals who have long experienced social exclusion. By promoting education, activation, and social involvement, these strategies can contribute to improving the quality of life for residents of rural and peripheral areas.
... Democratic reforms have catalysed the growing prominence of public participation as a means to enhance government decision-making processes [13]. Extensive prior research has further emphasized the significance of public participation in local government decision-making, rendering it a pivotal topic of discussion within the broader planning literature [14]. Consequently, this study aims to assess the extent to which public participation influences the dynamics of formulating public transportation policies in Semarang. ...
This study examines the role of public participation in public transportation policies in Semarang, Indonesia, a city facing congestion and the adoption of the bus rapid transit (Trans Semarang) system. The study identifies a gap in Indonesian transportation regulations that lack public participation in decision-making processes, limiting public engagement. Mayors play a crucial role in shaping transportation development, especially in the absence of inclusive participation from outside entities. To foster interactive community engagement, the City Government of Semarang must enact regulations that include the general public, transportation entities, and other relevant groups. Strategies include robust budgetary allotments and enforcement of local regulations to provide transport subsidies. Encouraging a more inclusive paradigm and transparent regulations can lead to the effective and sustainable execution of public transport, addressing the community's demands and aspirations. The findings pertaining to the mayor's role, as identified in this study, should be interpreted within the specific context of Semarang and may not be universally applicable across all regions in Indonesia. The extent to which the mayor assumes such a role is contingent upon their individual perspective on public transportation as a populist cause warranting dedicated efforts.
... Participation can be included at different stages of governance, from developing guidelines and overall concepts to strategic plans or the onsite implementation of concrete measures (Elvy, 2014;Gil et al., 2011). Stake "holders" can be invited based on their rights, affectedness, or knowledge (see Schmitter, 2002) or chosen randomly. ...
... Participation can be included at different stages of governance, from developing guidelines and overall concepts to strategic plans or the onsite implementation of concrete measures (Elvy, 2014;Gil et al., 2011). Stake "holders" can be invited based on their rights, affectedness, or knowledge (see Schmitter, 2002) or chosen randomly. ...
... This has been the result of the development of cross-national understandings regarding the interrelation between majority-minority relations, local governance structures, and deliberative policymaking (Garbaye, 2011;Martinussen, 2004;Van der Beken, 2015;Wu, 2014); growing numbers of members of ethnic minority communities in cities and the introduction of new ethnic minorities to cities following forced, or otherwise motivated, international migration (Costa & Ewert, 2014;UNHCR, 2012); and a movement toward decentralizing power and strengthening self-governance of cities, especially in ethnically plural countries (Lenhard, 2022;Yusoff et al., 2016). For example, in an analysis of local transport planning in England, Elvy (2014) found that while involvement is often less accessible to various disenfranchised groups, those who belong to ethnic minorities are especially sidelined in this respect, and their involvement faces the most barriers. Similar findings have been cited across several countries, including the United States, Latvia, Ghana, and Uganda (Asibey et al., 2021;Mulindwa, 2019;Struberga & Kjakste, 2018;Tauxe, 1995), concerning a variety of local policymaking and planning processes. ...
... These are central topics of debate in urban development, and increasingly so in transport planning. Yet participatory transport planning remains underused, albeit to varying degrees across localities and countries (Bickerstaff et al., 2002;Elvy, 2014;Gil et al., 2019). Given that socalled low-carbon transport technologies and new mobility arrangements may reinforce or deepen inequalities (Mattioli, 2016;Mullen & Marsden, 2016), scholars were adamant that participation and engagement in mobility transitions merit more attention, in order to mitigate unintended effects or even contribute to radical changes in energy demand. ...
Transport and mobility systems need to be transformed to meet climate change goals and reduce negative environmental and social effects. Despite EU policies having targeted such problems for more than three decades, transitions have been slow and geographically uneven. For effective change to happen, transport and mobility research needs fresh perspectives and better integration of knowledge from the Social Sciences and Humanities. Based on a Horizon Scanning approach, which allowed for a great deal of openness and variety in scholarly viewpoints, this paper presents a novel research agenda consisting of 8 themes and 100 research questions that may contribute to achieving environmentally sustainable mobility transitions within Europe. This research agenda highlights the need to not only support technological solutions for low-carbon mobility, but the importance of transformative policies that include new processes of knowledge production, civic participation and epistemic justice. We contend that the agenda points to the need for further research on the dynamics of science-society interactions.
... Hence, the dominant policy discourse might exclude the experiences and mobility challenges typical for disadvantaged groups. This comes on top of the generally limited efforts made to include these groups in participatory events in transport policy (Elvy, 2014), and the moralising tone of privileged experts is reported as an additional obstacle (Cupples & Ridley, 2008;Green et al., 2012). ...
For many years, the literature has pointed to the difficulties with the development of transport policy measures which meet both social and environmental policy objectives. Low Emission Zones (LEZ) offer an interesting example of measures that aim to decrease traffic-related air pollution, but which might have significant social effects by reducing the mobility of vulnerable, car-dependent groups. The Antwerp LEZ (Belgium) is used as a case. The assumptions and views in policy documents were compared with the experiences of some affected persons. The research challenges the assumption that only households with a non-compliant vehicle living in the LEZ are impacted by the measure since the LEZ may have a social impact well beyond the delimited zone. Some people with their residence in the LEZ expressed the feeling that they put a burden on friends and relatives from outside the zone who want to visit them. Furthermore, the LEZ affects low-income car owners with an older, damage-prone vehicle that is allowed to enter the zone, by making replacement vehicles less affordable. In general, the case reveals how the views and experiences of those most likely affected by the policy measure are not fully taken into account.
... Fortunately, resources that provide fairly effective approaches for how planners and decision-makers can work towards procedural equity have started to emerge. Several scholars have argued for the importance of participatory planning to ensure more equitable transport outcomes with regards to active transport (for example, Elvy, 2014;Sagaris, Tiznado-Aitken, & Steiniger, 2017). Examples of such approaches include the formation of citizen action groups as well as Participatory Budgeting processes (Creger et al., 2018). ...
Cycling is increasingly prioritized as a mode of transport with multiple socio-economic, environmental, and health benefits. However, the benefits associated with cycling are not always equitably distributed throughout society, meaning that some people (e.g. people with low incomes, immigrants and people of colour, women, and seniors) may not have access to safe and convenient spaces in which to cycle, with infrastructure inadequately accommodating the varying needs of all members of society. Based on a review of academic literature, as well as a critical review of city-level transport plans in Canada, we evaluate if and how transport plans in Canada are addressing equity, as well as the ways in which planning practice can more effectively provide for it. Findings from the review of Canadian transport plans revealed four key themes related to how plans can, and do currently address equity, including (1) socio-spatial network analysis (2) consideration of equity in projects and priorities, (3) equity-oriented funding mechanisms, (4) inclusive design and safety. While some plans were found to have addressed equity, many did not, or did so to a limited and ineffective way. As per the findings from the academic literature, many opportunities exist to advance the pursuit of cycling equity, including for example, the utilization of appropriate and effective methods of analysis, as well as locally tailored engagement and decision-making processes that effectively address the needs and concerns of local residents, particularly those who are most disadvantaged.
... CA has been applied to a range of transportation works (Table 2). Bickerstaff et al. (2002) and Elvy (2014) use CA of policy documents in the UK to evaluate the public participation in a public transport project. Similarly, Lee and Sener (2015) apply CA to a selection of public transportation plans and evaluated the extent to which measures of quality of life are being considered in transport planning. ...
The simultaneous growth of textual data and the advancements within Text Analytics enables organisations to exploit this kind of unstructured data, and tap into previously hidden knowledge. However, the utilisation of this valuable resource is still insufficiently unveiled in terms of transport policy decision-making. This research aims to further examine the potential of textual data in transportation through a real-life case study. The case study, framed together with the Danish Road Directorate or Vejdirektoratet, was designed to assess public opinion towards the adoption of driverless cars in Denmark. Traditionally, the opinion of the public has often been captured by means of surveys for the problem owner. Our study provides demonstrations in which opinion towards the adoption of driverless cars is examined through the analysis of newspaper articles and tweets using topic modelling, document classification, and sentiment analysis. In this way, the research attends to the collective as well as individualised characteristics of public opinion. The analyses establish that Text Analytics may be used as a complement to surveys, in order to extract additional knowledge which may not be captured through the use of surveys. In this regard, the Danish Road Directorate could find the usefulness while understanding the barriers in the results generated from our study, for supplementing their future data collection strategies.
... Quando o foco recai sobre o desenho das instituições que devem garantir que todos os membros da sociedade tenham o mesmo direito e possam participar efetivamente do processo de planejamento ou in8luenciar as decisões polıticas, discursos sobre equidade em transporte se relacionam intimamente com justiça processual. Ampliar o engajamento dos cidadãos, em particular de grupos sociais cuja voz tem sido sistematicamente ignorada por práticas de planejamento racional e tecnocrático, tem sido considerada uma maneira de in8luenciar agendas polıticas para um transporte mais equitativo (Bickerstaff et al., 2002;Elvy, 2014;Fouracre et al., 2006;Hodgson e Turner, 2003;Sagaris, 2010;Vigar, 2006Vigar, , 2017. ...
Embora a noção de equidade seja considerada primordial no emergente paradigma da mobilidade urbana sustentável, o planejamento da mobilidade tem sido acusado de contribuir para a produção e a consolidação de desigualdades sociais e espaciais relacionadas à provisão e organização do transporte coletivo urbano, principalmente no contexto de países em desenvolvimento. Este artigo investiga em que medida planejadores atuantes em cidades brasileiras estão cientes de iniquidades relacionadas ao transporte e a forma como compreendem o papel do transporte em relação a objetivos sociais. Diferentemente do que a literatura sugere, resultados da survey conduzida para este estudo indicam que, no Brasil, planejadores de transportes reconhecem certas associações entre privação socioeconômica e deficiências na oferta de transporte coletivo urbano, mas não necessariamente identificam no processo de planejamento fatores que levam à produção de desigualdades. Tampouco compreendem a ideia de equidade social como central no paradigma de mobilidade urbana sustentável.
... Diversi paesi hanno procedure obbligatorie di consultazione per i progetti di trasporto su media e grande scala e le autorità locali sono legalmente obbligate a sviluppare una consultazione sia degli stakeholders locali che del pubblico nelle varie fasi del processo di pianificazione. Nel Regno Unito, ad esempio, anche se non esiste una procedura definita per il processo di partecipazione da seguire, le autorità locali sono obbligate a sviluppare la partecipazione ai piani di trasporto locali (Elvy, 2014) secondo il codice di buona pratica sulla consultazione adottato dall'ufficio del Primo Ministro, In Francia esiste un chiaro quadro giuridico per lo sviluppo dei piani di mobilità urbana (Plan de Déplacement Urbains, PDU) e per il coinvolgimento degli stakeholder istituzionali tramite il Debat Public (Rupprecht Consult, 2016), ma i regolamenti non sono molto esigenti invece in termini di coinvolgimento dei cittadini (CEREMA, 2015). Gli altri Paesi europei hanno procedure formali molto limitate circa il coinvolgimento dei cittadini e degli stakeholders, in particolare alcuni paesi dell'Europa orientale. ...
La pianificazione dei trasporti influisce su una grande varietà di gruppi economici, pubblici e sociali impegnati in una vasta gamma di interessi e problemi, che spesso si traducono in processi decisionali complessi. Il settore dei trasporti si sta progressivamente aprendo a nuovi stakeholders e il processo di pianificazione dei trasporti è diventato un processo multi-agenzia, multisettoriale e multimodale (Geels, 2012). Il paradigma della mobilità sostenibile (Banister, 2008) impone una diversa interazione di questo settore con altri settori di attività e con competenze di varia estrazione, quindi comporta la necessità di coinvolgere, nel processo di pianificazione, le diverse parti interessate, compreso il pubblico.
... Following this, it is clear that there is a need for citizens and stakeholder participation in HIA, especially those parties with vested interest that may be affected by the proposed or investigated scenarios. We advocate for it, being however aware that participation can have its shortcoming and can be not as effective as expected especially when lacking adequate time resources or when not specifically addressing power unbalances and communication issues (Elvy, 2014). ...
Introduction:
Urban and transport planning have large impacts on public health, but these are generally not explicitly considered and/or quantified, partly because there are no comprehensive models, methods and tools readily available. Air pollution, noise, temperature, green space, motor vehicle crashes and physical activity are important pathways linking urban and transport planning and public health. For policy decision-making, it is important to understand and be able to quantify the full-chain from source through pathways to health effects and impacts to substantiate and effectively target actions. In this paper, we aim to provide an overview of recent studies on the health impacts related to urban and transport planning in cities, describe the need for novel participatory quantitative health impact assessments (HIA) and provide recommendations.
Method:
To devise our searches and narrative, we were guided by a recent conceptual framework linking urban and transport planning, environmental exposures, behaviour and health. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, and references from relevant articles in English language from January 1, 1980, to November 1, 2016, using pre-defined search terms.
Results:
The number of HIA studies is increasing rapidly, but there is lack of participatory integrated and full-chain HIA models, methods and tools. These should be based on the use of a systemic multidisciplinary/multisectorial approach and state-of-the-art methods to address questions such as what are the best, most feasible and needed urban and transport planning policy measures to improve public health in cities? Active citizen support and new forms of communication between experts and citizens and the involvement of all major stakeholders are crucial to find and successfully implement health promoting policy measures.
Conclusion:
We provided an overview of the current state-of-the art of HIA in cities and made recommendations for further work. The process on how to get there is as important and will provide answers to many crucial questions on e.g. how different disciplines can effectively work together, how to incorporate citizen and stakeholder opinion into quantitative HIA modelling for urban and transport planning, how different modelling and measurement methods can be effectively integrated, and whether a public health approach can bring about positive changes in urban and transport planning.
... In the wider European context, urban transport vision plans are still based on technological innovation, which devalues the importance of social innovation as a key factor for transformative changes towards sustainable urban transport, and further indicates that citizens' participation plays a secondary role in the design and decision-making process (Upham et al. 2013). Although notable progress has been made in terms of policy rhetoric in countries such as the UK and Finland, the link between participatory processes and policy outcomes remains unclear, partly because there are no explicit procedures to make it a deliberative process (Elvy 2014). ...
Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a relatively recent neighbourhood development concept associated with the three dimensions of urban sustainability (environmental, economic and social). Traditionally, TOD has been associated with environmental and economic benefits. Recent research has shown evidence of positive social outcomes related to the spatial characteristics of TOD areas. But the social sustainability that can be drawn from TOD interventions may multiply when designed through participatory planning processes. Here, I combine TOD literature with that of collaborative urban planning to highlight the potential of participatory TOD for urban social sustainability.
This study explores how social enterprises create social and economic value through business models that support ex‐offenders. The work was motivated by a request for help from an entrepreneur wishing to establish a business that supports ex‐offender rehabilitation. The research explored five case organisations that already provided such support, analysing them through a business model framework. The case studies investigated the dual propositions of social and economic value created using various organisational forms, including private companies, charities, and a government body. Findings demonstrate how each organisation utilised under‐valued human resources to address social challenges while maintaining economic viability. The research contributes to social enterprise literature and practice, showing the integration of social and economic value creation, exploring the role of Mission, and explaining the reluctance of some organisations to engage in social value measurement. The findings offer insights to entrepreneurs seeking to sustainably deliver social impact.
Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie skomunikowania transportem zbiorowym miejscowości położonych w granicach Miejskiego Obszaru Funkcjonalnego Słupsk-Ustka (MOF S-U) z miastami-rdzeniami (Słupskiem i Ustką) oraz wskazanie obszarów, na których może dochodzić do zjawiska wykluczenia transportowego. Sieć połączeń komunikacji publicznej na tym terenie nie odpowiada na potrzeby kierowane przez mieszkańców do decydentów jednostek samorządów terytorialnych, co może ograniczać ich możliwości przemieszczania się, zwłaszcza w weekendy. Podczas przeprowadzonego badania dokonano analizy literatury przedmiotu, dokumentów na poziomach lokalnym i regionalnym, danych zawartych w rozkładach jazdy oraz zastosowano wizualizacje GIS. Niedostateczne skomunikowanie komunikacją zbiorową obszaru wpływa na ograniczoną dostępność transportową, a w konsekwencji może prowadzić do wykluczenia transportowego.
Die Komplexität und Dynamik realweltlicher Probleme, die in transdisziplinären Reallabor-Projekten adressiert werden, erfordern die Beteiligung aller direkt und indirekt betroffenen Bevölkerungsgruppen am Partizipationsprozess. Allzu häufig führen jedoch Effekte der sozialen Selektivität dazu, dass die Beteiligten meist aus einem sozioökonomisch ähnlichen Milieu stammen (mittelständisch, männlich, einheimisch) und Personen mit Migrationshintergrund, Frauen, Jugendliche und Angehörige der unteren Einkommensschichten eher schwach oder gar nicht vertreten sind. Dadurch droht der Matthäus-Effekt („Wer hat, dem wird gegeben“), wenn sich sozioökonomisch starke Personen besonders für ihre Belange einsetzen, während die Interessen (ressourcen)schwächerer unterrepräsentiert bleiben. Der Beitrag behandelt drei Fragen: Wie kann sichergestellt werden, dass alle Bevölkerungsgruppen bei Partizipationsprozessen in Reallaboren erreicht werden? Wie können die Anliegen aller Bevölkerungsgruppen dabei involviert werden? Wie kann die Zivilgesellschaft in Reallaboren zu Ko-Kreatoren ermächtigt werden? Vor dem Hintergrund empirischer Erfahrungen in den Projekten Reallabor Schorndorf und Reallabor Altmarkkreis werden diese Fragen reflektiert. Aufgrund dieser Reflexion werden Handlungsempfehlungen für Forschende und Praxisakteure sowie offene Forschungsfragen abgeleitet.
Ringland is crow-brained and crow-funded road tunnelling project for a six billion euro investment that has been completely initiated and developed bottom-up by local citizens. It has been proposed in response to the government’s plan to complete the ring road around the city of Antwerp, with the aim to mitigate its damaging health impacts. What can we, as academics, practitioners and decision-makers, learn from this example? How can we use participation to implement innovative decision-making practices that contribute to the construction of healthy cities? In this chapter I explore possible answers to these questions. Considering in more details the various aspect of the Ringland project and building on the literature on participation in urban and transport planning, I explore the connections between citizens’ participation and health, showing their potentials and limits in an increasingly complex world. After giving some definitions, I consider the wide benefits and limitations of participation recognised by the literature. Subsequently, I provide a summary of the main planning traditions and consider how they approach participation in different ways. I then consider the specific benefits that participation can offer to health and reflect on which would be the most appropriate planning settings and practices to allow these to take place. I propose that we build a culture of participation across society in order to do so. I conclude with a reflection on the role of academics and of participatory research to support the construction of a culture of participation.
Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is an important tools to integrate evidence in the decision-making process, and introduce health in all policies. In urban and transport planning, HIAs have been used generally to assess qualitatively urban interventions rather than offering more useful/powerful estimations to stakeholders through quantitative approaches. HIAs could answer various pressing questions such as: what are the best and most feasible urban and transport planning policy measures to improve public health in cities? Also the process on how to get there is often as important as the actual output of the HIA, as the process may provide answers to important questions as to how different disciplines/sectors can effectively work together and develop a common language, how to best incorporate citizen and stakeholder, how different modelling and measurement methods can be effectively integrated, and whether a public health approach could make changes in urban and transport planning.
Transportation systems play a key role in providing individuals with a diversity of means to access their desired destinations and have significant impacts on their quality of life. The social perspective of mobility is, however, marginalized in the current model of transportation planning and significant changes are called for. This study aims to identify the barriers and opportunities of local participatory approaches to trigger changes in transportation planning in Montreal, drawing on the concept of social learning.
Social media and web 2.0 tools offer opportunities to devise novel participation strategies that can engage previously difficult to reach, as well as new, segments of society in urban planning. This paper examines participatory planning in the four local government areas of Brisbane City Council, Gold Coast City Council, Redland City Council and Toowoomba Regional Council, all situated in South East Queensland, Australia. The paper discusses how social media and web 2.0 tools can deliver a more engaging planning experience to citizens and investigates local government's current use and receptiveness to social media tools for plan-making and community engagement. The study's research informed the development of criteria to assess the level of participation reached through the current use of social media and web 2.0 in the four local government areas. This resulted in an adaptation of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Toolbox to integrate these new tools, which is being presented to encourage further discussion and evaluation by planning professionals.
This article seeks to assess and understand the role played by new forms of internet-based communication in UK local governance. Drawing on a survey of all English local authorities the article examines the utilisation of social media before going on to ask what potential these media might hold for the enhancement of local participation. Amidst contemporary debates about the nature of local governance, not least those prompted by the recent preoccupation with the Big Society, Web 2.0 platforms such as Facebook and Twitter afford new opportunities for online interaction that could contribute to the reinvigoration of the local public sphere. In particular these platforms could encourage forms of participation that would bridge the divide that has emerged in recent years between residents as consumers of local services and residents as citizens, or local democratic actors.
The objective of our article is twofold. First, we claim that the theoretical planning discussion dealing with public participation has forgotten one basic principle, namely that the people are taking part in the planning process because they are interested in a particular issue. There is a need for new conceptual approaches in participatory research which carry the discussion first towards the issues, then to the structures of participation. For this reason, we have combined practice-oriented policy analysis with the recent discussion of issue politics. Second, we implement the key propositions of the theoretical debate in an empirical case. The aim is to indicate how the trajectory of the issue, as well as its continuities and discontinuities, develop in diverse ways in different civic forums. We claim that this perspective provides more information for researchers, civil servants and citizens about the logic of participatory practice.
The late 1990s and early 2000s witnessed a growing interest amongst UK academics and policy makers in the issue of transport disadvantage and, more innovatively, how this might relate to growing concerns about the social exclusion of low income groups and communities. Studies (predominantly in the United Kingdom) began to make more explicit the links policy between poverty, transport disadvantage, access to key services and economic and social exclusion (see for example Church and Frost, 2000; TRaC, 2000; Lucas et al., 2001; Kenyon 2003; Kenyon et al., 2003; Hodgson and Turner, 2003; Raje, 2003).
Partnership and participation have co-evolved as key instruments of New Labour's agenda for the ‘modernisation’ and ‘democratic renewal‘ of British local government. It is often assumed that partnerships are more inclusive than bureaucratic or market-based approaches to policy-making and service delivery. This article argues that partnership working does not in itself deliver enhanced public participation; indeed, it may be particularly difficult to secure citizen involvement in a partnership context. The article explores the relationship between partnership and participation in a wide range of local initiatives, exemplifying difficulties as well as synergies. The article concludes that public participation needs to be designed-in to local partnerships, not assumed-in. A series of principles for the design of more participative local partnerships is proposed.
The role of transport disadvantage in the social exclusion of low income and marginalised households and communities has received
increasing academic and policy interest over the last 10years or so. Against a backdrop of studies that have predominantly
considered this issue within various national contexts, this paper offers a unique opportunity to compare different national context. The paper is informed by a commissioned study for the State of Victoria Department of Transport (Lucas,
Study of transport exclusion in the state of Victoria: It doesn’t have to be this way, 2008), which wished to draw lessons from the United Kingdom in order to promote a similar policy agenda for the State. It is the
authors’ contention that the issue of transport-related social exclusion is likely receive growing international policy recognition
in the context of global recession, associated local job losses and reduced disposable incomes, as well as the ageing structure
of most Western societies. The paper seeks to disseminate the important findings of our study about the potential for policy
transfer to other national and local contexts to a wider academic, policy and practitioner audience.
KeywordsTransport disadvantage–Social exclusion–Policy practice–UK–Australia
Citizen participation is usually seen as a vital aspect of democracy. Many theorists claim that citizen participation has positive effects on the quality of democracy. This article examines the probability of these claims for local participatory policymaking projects in two municipalities in the Netherlands. The article focuses on the relations between citizens and government from a citizens' perspective. The findings show that the role of citizens in these projects is limited, serving mainly to provide information on the basis of which the government then makes decisions. Nevertheless, the article argues that citizen involvement has a number of positive effects on democracy: not only do people consequently feel more responsibility for public matters, it increases public engagement, encourages people to listen to a diversity of opinions, and contributes to a higher degree of legitimacy of decisions. One negative effect is that not all relevant groups and interests are represented. The article concludes that for a healthy democracy at the local level, aspects of democratic citizenship are more important than having a direct say in decision-making.
There has always been a localist element to British politics. But recently, a particular version of localism has been moved to the foreground by the 2011 Localism Act. This paper identifies various uses and meanings of localism, maps their geographical assumptions and effects, and critiques their politics. It does this using the localism of the United Kingdom's Coalition Government as a case study of localism in practice. The rationalities, mentalities, programmes, and technologies of this localism are established from Ministerial speeches and press releases, along with Parliamentary Acts, Bills, White Papers, Green Papers, and Statements - all published between May 2010 when the Coalition Government was formed, and November 2011 when the Localism Act became law. We argue that localism may be conceptualised as spatial liberalism, is never straightforwardly local, and can be anti-political. •Localism can usefully be conceptualised as spatial liberalism.•The geographies of localism are not straightforwardly local.•Localism can be anti-political in at least two distinct ways.
The UK has a long tradition of local transport plans as a means of articulating and implementing transport strategy. That approach is now being emulated by the European Commission. This paper assesses the appropriateness of past and current practice in England outside London as a basis for application more widely in Europe, and advocates improvements in the ways in which guidance might be provided to local authority staff. It draws on the international literature to identify the requirements for effective local transport plans. In particular it outlines the evidence on the policy instruments which are likely to be most effective, identifies the barriers to implementing them and summarises the development of decision-support tools which could help to overcome these barriers. It then reviews, on the basis of the literature and personal experience, the development of transport policies and programmes and local transport plans in England. Combining these two analyses, it assesses the effectiveness of these procedures for local transport planning in England, and recommends improvements.
This article considers the democratic challenges and potential of localism by drawing on insights from the theory and practice of deliberative democracy. On a conceptual level, the ideas embedded in localism and deliberative democracy share much in common, particularly the democratic goal of engaging citizens in decisions that affect them. Despite such commonalities, however, there has been limited conversation between relevant literatures. The article considers four democratic challenges facing localism and offers a response from a systems perspective of deliberative democracy. It argues that, for localism to realise its democratic potential, new participatory spaces are required and the design of these spaces matters. Beyond structured participatory forums, local democracy also needs an active and vibrant public sphere that promotes multiple forms of democratic expression. This requires taking seriously the democratic contributions of local associations and social movements. Finally, the article argues that, to fulfil its democratic potential, localism needs to encourage greater democratic and political connectivity between participatory forums and the broader public sphere.
The emphasis on public participation in contemporary policy discourse has prompted the development of a wide range of forums within which dialogue takes place between citizens and officials. Often such initiatives are intended to contribute to objectives relating to social exclusion and democratic renewal. The question of ‘who takes part’ within such forums is, then, critical to an understanding of how far new types of forums can contribute to the delivery of such objectives. This article draws on early findings of research conducted as part of the ESRC Democracy and Participation Programme. It addresses three questions: ‘How do public bodies define or constitute the public that they wish to engage in dialogue?’; ‘What notions of representation or representativeness do participants and public officials bring to the idea of legitimate membership of such forums?’; and ‘How do deliberative forums contribute to, or help ameliorate, processes of social inclusion and exclusion?’
The shift from government to governance in recent years has created significant new opportunities for people from disadvantaged communities to participate in the decisions that affect them. However, the weight of evidence over the years suggests that these communities have remained on the margins in partnerships and other initiatives. Governmentality theory helps to explain the ways in which state power persists even when governing is increasingly devolved; however, it also allows for the possibility of 'active subjects', who can shape and influence the new spaces into which they have been invited. This article draws on a range of evidence from the literature and from the author's own research in the UK to consider the challenges for communities of 'governing beyond the state'.
In the context of current attempts to increase public participation and promote participatory democracy within planning and a range of other state activities, this article focuses on the micro-politics of a particular example of participation in planning. It seeks to move beyond the potential dichotomy in theoretical debates between a view of participation as on essentially emancipatory practice within a communicative/collaborative framework and an alternative interpretation of participation as a 'new tyranny'. Building on theoretical perspectives that have attempted to bridge this divide by focusing on the dynamic tensions between competing rationalities, the article explores a case study of participation on the Cowley Road in Oxford. It also considers whether it is possible to incorporate 'strategies for power' within participation exercises as a way of maximising any emoncipatory potential. It concludes by arguing that an understanding of participation based on exploring the tensions between different rationalities can inform both the analysis and practice of participation exercises, but that' strategies for power' are more problematic and have to be seen in the context that power cannot be contained and planned around.
Could and should diverse stakeholders be involved in urban transport planning? This paper evaluates such attempts at participation using three case studies of transport forums and evidence from semi-structured interviews, document analysis and literature review. A hypothesis that stakeholder inclusion makes planning expensive and inconclusive is falsified. Conversely, a hypothesis that increasing the diversity of stakeholders increases problem definition and innovation diversity is supported. A third hypothesis that stakeholder inclusion will be obstructed by concentrated power structures is also supported. Thus it is argued that diverse stakeholder participation in transport planning is potentially beneficial but difficult to achieve. Powerful actors that could otherwise obstruct a forum might be prevented from doing so by legitimization of the forum by existing democratic structures. However, in the longer term a greater dispersal of power in society may be required.
The Local Authorities Local Transport Plan Benchmarking Group was established in 2002 to undertake a continuous process of comparison, review and search for best and better practice within its membership councils. This paper attempts to identify successful participation strategies and techniques used within the benchmarking group that could be deployed by other local authorities in support of the development of their second local transport plan (LTP) for 2006-2011. It is acknowledged that for a transport plan to be successful it requires high-quality public participation and information-gathering techniques to be used to ensure that, as far as practical, the Plan meets local problems and needs.
Interest in the practical development of new ways of involving citizens has been accompanied by a wish on the part of those investing in such processes to know if they worked and if they made a difference. This is usually constructed as a need to undertake evaluations of different methods of enabling public participation. However, questions about effectiveness of different methods need to reflect the nature and purpose of different approaches. The exploration of these types of issue may be better understood as a process of researching rather than evaluating. In this context the article offers six criteria for evaluating fora in which deliberation takes place.
The White Paper Modern Local Government: In Touch with the People contains a range of proposals for modernising British local government. Some are concerned with improving the quality, cost-effectiveness and responsiveness of local services. Other proposals, however, are concerned with the constitutional position of local government, which for various reasons is viewed as in need of 'democratic renewal'. There are four key elements to the democratic renewal programme aimed at developing opportunities for citizens to participate in local government. This article summarises the main trends emerging from a recent DETR-commissioned research project on the forms of participation being carried out by local authorities, and exposes some of the tensions and contradictions of public participation in the context of the wider democratic renewal agenda.
The continued decline in levels of political engagement among British citizens has led many politicians, commentators and academics from across the political spectrum to advocate a move toward a more direct form of democracy via some kind of localism. The claim is that citizens feel increasingly estranged from the democratic process, and from those organisations on which they have historically relied to represent them within the political system. Consequently, localists argue, there now exists a gap between the people, the institutions which are supposed to work on their behalf, and the decisions made in their name, so the system needs to be reformed in such a way as to give individuals and local communities more of a direct input into the decision-making process. Calls for a more direct form of democracy via localism are popular among members of the progressive left and the ‘new Conservative’ right, and have become so dominant in political discourse that it is often suggested that ‘we are all localists now’. This article raises questions about the localist agenda, and suggests that the adoption of a more direct form of democracy in Britain may not only fail to address the decline in political engagement, but may also result in the exclusion, marginalisation, and oppression of minority groups.
This article examines the relationship between social exclusion and bus provision in England in a marketized environment, and outlines the complexities of involving the socially excluded in local transport decision making. An analysis of five case studies, including histories of where requests were made for changes to bus provision, reveals the challenges for voice and responsiveness within a deregulated environment. Local government has limited ability to respond effectively to the socially excluded; bus providers are able to cut or revise services as they wish, and the discourse employed by them emphasizes costs and efficiency rather than social needs. The paper concludes by advocating a more proactive approach toward tackling departmentalism and social exclusion, with more rigorous and focused engagement of those who have difficulty in making their voices heard. At the same time, it recommends the revision of accounting procedures and incentive structures in order to constrain the ability of bus operators to ‘play the system’.
Abstract In this paper our aim is to bring some,critical reflection to bear on the upsurge,of participatory rhetoric in local governance.,The research,we discuss investigates,two case studies of deliberative exercises,used,by local authorities to develop their Local Transport Plans, chosen as exemplars of authorities seen to be at the forefront of participatory transport planning. Our analysis avoids the rather simplistic ‘check list’ evaluative models,based,upon,the Habermasian,ideals of communicativerationality and instead develops,an approach,which attends,to the power,relations embedded,in the process of participation. Significantly,the research, across a range of stakeholder groups, reveals a deeply problematic relationship between citizen involvement and established,structures of democratic decision-making,- reflected in an emphasis,on (soft) relational outcomes,to the virtual exclusion,of (hard) policy impacts. We,draw attention to the institutional constraints which account,for the limited realisation of the participatory agenda,in local governance.,Conclusions,are developed,relating to both
The findings reported below are drawn from 30 focus group discussions carried out with citizens in 11 contrasting local authority areas. Particular attention was paid to recruiting citizens from traditionally excluded groups, including people from minority ethnic groups and from disadvantaged areas. Each focus group involved ten participants (each of whom received a small honorarium) and lasted around an hour and a half. There were four different types of focus groups: 'Participators' - those who had participated in a local authority initiative. 'Activists' - people from local community and voluntary organizations. Young people - from local colleges and youth groups. 'Ordinary citizens' - randomly selected by a market research agency. Half of the focus groups, therefore, concentrated upon individuals who had some knowledge of, or contact with, local government, while the other half addressed those who were largely detached from local politics. (For further details of the research methodology, including the topic guides employed, see Lowndes et al. 1998.) While not claiming to be in any way 'representative' of public opinion, the focus groups provided an opportunity for in-depth research into citizens' own accounts of their relationships with local government. This article presents our research findings (in the context of other relevant research) on why it is that citizens do participate, and why - more often - they do not.
This paper briefly reviews the inexorable rise of the social exclusion policy paradigm and uses an adaptation of Amartya Sen’s theory of entitlement to determine appropriate policy responses. In particular, the promotion by the UK Department for Transport of accessibility planning is examined. Although this initiative is not totally without merit, the resulting analysis may be too aggregate, both spatially and socially. The weakness of such an approach is that transport-related social exclusion is not always a socially and spatially concentrated process. Instead we suggest a matrix of area accessibility, area mobility and individual mobility as a possible schema for identifying concentrated and scattered manifestations of social exclusion and inclusion and for suggesting appropriate policy responses. This schema helps produce a more spatially and socially differentiated conceptualisation of social exclusion, helps identify policy responses and most critically highlights that the problems of the socially excluded immobile should not be analysed in isolation from the socially included mobile.
The new direction in transport policy, embodied in the 1998 White Paper, has brought with it a sea change in political thinking about the objectives and process of local transport planning. In this paper, we consider `the realities' of how one cornerstone of this `new' agenda, a duty on authorities to undertake `public participation' in producing their local transport plans, has been conceptualised and integrated within the wider planning practice. Drawing on a research project which involved a survey of English highway authorities and a content analysis of policy documents we evaluate experiences in relation to four key principles of the participation process. The paper concludes that whilst there is considerable activity on the surface, evidence of substantive impacts on local transport planning or a strategic approach to the participation process is sparse – a situation which is, we argue, traceable back to the lack of clarity in central government policy and guidance.
This paper will explore the theoretical groundings of the debate on social exclusion. It will then develop these discussions to help understand what role transport plays in the experience of social exclusion. It will finally seek to highlight gaps in research to date and possible directions for future work.
This paper seeks to demonstrate the importance of a clear understanding of the concepts of social exclusion and social inclusion, not only for policy makers, but for all practitioners tasked with the implementation of strategies to reduce/increase each, respectively. Following a discussion of the two terms, the paper presents government transport policy as a case study, discussing the recent Social Exclusion Unit report, Making the Connections, and its likely outcomes for social exclusion. The paper highlights the dangers inherent in a strategy which seeks to increase mobility to decrease exclusion, suggesting that such a policy fails adequately to consider a holistic approach to social exclusion. The paper discusses the place of mobility in strategies to decrease social exclusion and provides practical suggestions to maximise the social benefits of such strategies.
Does local government want local democracy
- P Hoggett
Hoggett, P., 1995. Does local government want local democracy. Town Country Plan.
Transport Demand Management and Social Inclusion: The Need for Ethnic Perspectives Transport and social exclusion: where are we now? Transp
- F Raje
Raje, F., 2004. Transport Demand Management and Social Inclusion: The Need for Ethnic Perspectives. Aldershot, Ashgate Cited in: Lucas, K., 2012. Transport and social exclusion: where are we now? Transp. Policy 20, 105–113.