Professional perceptions of participatory practices in green stormwater infrastructure development

Abstract

Participatory practices are essential for green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) development that addresses stormwater issues while providing other ecosystem benefits. However, few studies have examined barriers to community engagement experienced by GSI professionals, particularly which phases include public participation, the groups they target, and the engagement mechanisms selected. If and how professionals evaluated their engagement processes or outcomes also remain under-investigated. This study fills these critical gaps through a survey (n = 195) and key informant interviews (n = 17) of professionals and academics previously involved in GSI development. We reveal that engagement initiatives for GSI are hindered mainly by available resources, knowledge and perceptions, requirements, and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Public hearings/information sessions and design workshops/charrettes are the most frequently applied engagement mechanisms, and current participation practices focus primarily on early project stages. While most of the reported benefits, challenges, and best practices are aligned with well-recognized general community engagement guides, GSI community engagement is uniquely challenged by project technical complexity and the need for effective knowledge transfer and long-term stewardship. Finally, the significant gap in engagement assessments calls for allocating adequate resources for evaluation and advancing research on appropriate evaluative methods based on project type, community context, and evaluation purpose.