Public involvement requirements for infrastructure planning in China

Shan, Chunyan; Yai, Tetsuo

doi:10.1016/j.habitatint.2010.06.004

Cited by 44 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Despite its merits, public participation can be challenging to implement when it is newly introduced, as some authorities can have a cynical attitude of the value of participation, and worry that an overactive citizenry could lead to social disorder and conflict (Shan & Yai, 2011). However, the success of public participation depends not just on the genuine attitude of the project organisers in soliciting public opinion, it also requires the careful planning and organisation of every participatory activity (IFC, 1998).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to this classification, informing and consulting the public fall within the 'tokenism' level, whereas attaining the 'citizen power' level would require the development of a partnership between the project initiator and the community. Since public participation is still a relatively new concept in China, it usually takes the form of informing members of the public of their rights, responsibilities and options rather than inviting them to voice their opinions (Shan & Yai, 2011). Viewed in this way, it is clear that such a "tokenism" participatory approach does not guarantee that public views will be heeded by those in power (Arnstein, 1969).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, it is very important for these stakeholders that the project initiators (e.g. government) do their best to convey their plans and solicit opinions before any PIC projects commence and right through to the end of the project cycle (Shan & Yai, 2011). A common approach to actively involving relevant stakeholders in the decision process is by public participation (André, Enserink, Connor, & Croal, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Public participation in infrastructure and construction projects in China: From an EIA-based to a whole-cycle process

Skitmore

2012

Habitat International

111

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a b s t r a c tMany governments world-wide are increasingly encouraging the involvement of interested individuals, groups and organisations in their public infrastructure and construction (PIC) projects as a means of improving the openness, transparency and accountability of the decision-making process and help improve the projects' long-term viability and benefits to the community. In China, however, the current participatory mechanism at the project level exists only as part of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process. With an increasing demand for PIC projects and social equality in China, this suggests a need to bring the participatory process into line with international practice.The aim of this paper, therefore, is to identify the weaknesses of EIA-based public participation in China and the means by which it may be improved for the whole lifecycle of PIC schemes. To do this, the results of a series of interviews with a diverse group of experts is reported which analyse the nature and extent of existing problems of public participation in EIA and suggestions for improvement. These indicate that the current level of participation in PIC projects is quite limited, particularly in the crucial earlier stages, primarily due to traditional culture and values, uneven progress in the adoption of participatory mechanisms, the risk of not meeting targets and lack of confidence in public competence. Finally, a process flowchart is proposed to guide construction practitioners and the community in general.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Public participation in infrastructure and construction projects in China: From an EIA-based to a whole-cycle process

Skitmore

2012

Habitat International

111

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“…Since the 1990s, public participation has been introduced into managing PIC projects to reduce and resolve these disputes. However, the practices of this mechanism in China's PIC projects have slowly developed and seldom yielded satisfactory results (Li et al, 2012;Shan and Yai, 2011). According to the eight-rung ladder of citizen participation provided by Arnstein (1969), public participation practices in China are at the tokenism level in which the public are informed and consulted (Shan and Yai, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, the development of public participation practice remains relatively slow, although several scholars have asserted that public participation can bring positive social effects to China, such as enhanced social equality, improved government governance, and well-guarded public interest, to China (Enserink and Koppenjan, 2007;Li et al, 2012;Shan and Yai, 2011). Benefits obtained through public participation at the project level may be another reason for the Chinese government to promote this mechanism in managing PIC projects.…”

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confidence: 99%

Understanding project stakeholders’ perceptions of public participation in China's infrastructure and construction projects

Xie

Yang

et al. 2014

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management

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If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services. AbstractPurpose -Public participation has been implemented with growing frequency as an instrument for dealing with the increased socio-economic and environmental disputes in public infrastructure and construction (PIC) projects in China. The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of major stakeholders on the major aspects related to public participation practices in China's PIC projects and intends to convey what is presently happening in this segment of the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach -Specific topics of the social effects, benefits, forms, and barriers were addressed through a recent survey of the major stakeholders involved in PIC projects. The survey results were used to perform a strength-weakness-opportunity-threat analysis for evaluating the status quo of public participation in PIC projects. Findings -The survey results indicate that the development of public participation practices in China remains relatively slow despite the urgent need to promote this mechanism for solving socio-economic and environmental disputes in PIC projects. Thus, a four-step strategic plan is suggested to be established to overcome main barriers for the implementation of public participation and promote its development in China. Originality/value -This study aims to evaluate the status quo of the public participation practices in China by conducting a national survey, which has never been conducted before. The findings of this paper provide a holistic view of the status quo of public participation in China's PIC projects and promote a better application of this mechanism in the construction industry.

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Recognizing Uncertainty and Linked Decisions in Public Participation: A New Framework for Collaborative Urban Planning

Chakraborty

2012

Syst. Res

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To promote collaboration, urban planners need to devise processes that consider stakeholders' interests not as an afterthought but as an integral component of decision analysis. In this paper, I introduce and illustrate a framework that attempts to do so using a longrunning road extension planning process in Urbana, Illinois, USA. Drawing upon archival research, stakeholder reactions, and my experiences as an observer, the case study demonstrates how assumptions in problem framing and analysis and a focus on hardened positions can lead to disagreements. Using a stylized scenario exercise, I then present an alternative framework that can explicitly recognize the uncertainties and linked decisions involved in the analysis and allow the stakeholders to expound their concerns. A test of the principles shows that by bringing out the basic objectives of stakeholders and considering a wider range of choices and uncertainties, the framework can help identify underlying areas of agreement. I conclude that recognizing limitations of analytical methods and systematically bringing stakeholder values to a planning process can help improve its efficacy.

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Public involvement requirements for infrastructure planning in China

Cited by 44 publications

References 12 publications

Public participation in infrastructure and construction projects in China: From an EIA-based to a whole-cycle process

Public participation in infrastructure and construction projects in China: From an EIA-based to a whole-cycle process

Understanding project stakeholders’ perceptions of public participation in China's infrastructure and construction projects

Recognizing Uncertainty and Linked Decisions in Public Participation: A New Framework for Collaborative Urban Planning

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