Maria Bednarek-Szczepańska

Abstract

The paper is the result of a review of contemporary scientific literature on local‑community participation in spatial planning. The aim of the review has been to determine those concepts which constitute the theoretical basis for studies, the areas in which the participation of a local community in planning is being examined, and the methods of involving inhabitants gaining most frequent description in the literature. The review included 96 relevant scientific articles from 2010‑2019 that are available in the Web of Science data-base. In practice, this literature is found to feature marked diversity when it comes to the ways in which community participation in planning is embedded theoretically. While the underpinning concepts derive mainly from the socio‑political sciences, management, ecology or human geography are also represented, and reference is often made to the concept of deliberation and collaboration, as connected with the theory of communicative action. Note should also be taken of the importance of knowledge (especially lay knowledge) and learning as relatively new key concepts in the literature regarding social aspects of spatial planning.

The said literature focuses on the search for new ways in which residents can be activated as regards planning, as well as ways in which they can be tested. There is therefore a prevalence of works that detail innovative initiatives by which inhabitants’ views on the space in which they function can be gained. Little attention is paid to translating the opinion and knowledge obtained from the community into planning decisions – this being an issue that researchers either ignore or treat very vaguely. This is then a significant gap in the output under analysis.

The analysed works present local‑community involvement in planning, mainly in urbanised areas, but also in valuable natural areas, including forests, wetlands, rivers, etc. Relatively little attention is paid to social participation in the planning of villages and small towns outside large agglomerations. It is surprising that there is very little work on grassroots community initiatives aimed at the local‑level planning of space.

The use of modern technologies in gauging society’s opinions and knowledge on space is what proves dominant where methodological scope is concerned. There is wide discussion of the possibilities and advantages inherent in methodology based on PPGIS and VGI.

Keywords: local community, spatial planning, public participation, literature review

Maria Bednarek-Szczepańska [bednarek@twarda.pan.pl], Instytut Geografii i Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania im. S. Leszczyckiego PAN

Citation

APA: Bednarek-Szczepańska, M. (2020). Współczesne podejścia do uczestnictwa społeczności lokalnej w planowaniu przestrzeni w literaturze naukowej. Przegląd Geograficzny, 92(4), 543-567. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2020.4.5
MLA: Bednarek-Szczepańska, Maria. "Współczesne podejścia do uczestnictwa społeczności lokalnej w planowaniu przestrzeni w literaturze naukowej". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 92, no. 4, 2020, pp. 543-567. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2020.4.5
Chicago: Bednarek-Szczepańska, Maria. "Współczesne podejścia do uczestnictwa społeczności lokalnej w planowaniu przestrzeni w literaturze naukowej". Przegląd Geograficzny 92, no. 4 (2020): 543-567. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2020.4.5
Harvard: Bednarek-Szczepańska, M. 2020. "Współczesne podejścia do uczestnictwa społeczności lokalnej w planowaniu przestrzeni w literaturze naukowej". Przegląd Geograficzny, vol. 92, no. 4, pp. 543-567. https://doi.org/10.7163/PrzG.2020.4.5