Public Participation Procedure in Integrated Transport and Green Infrastructure Planning

Abstract

Abstract. The dialogue among the decision makers and stakeholders is a crucial part of any decision-making processes, particularly in case of integrated transportation planning and planning of green infrastructure where a multitude of actors is present. Although the theory of public participation is well-developed after several decades of research, there is still a lack of practical guidelines due to the specificity of public participation challenges. The paper presents a model of public participation for integrated transport and green infrastructure planning for international project TRANSGREEN covering the area of five European countries -Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary and Romania. The challenge of the project is to coordinate the efforts of public actors and NGOs in international environment in oftentimes precarious projects of transport infrastructure building and developing of green infrastructure. The project aims at developing and environmentally-friendly and safe international transport network. The proposed public participation procedure consists of five main steps -spread of information (passive), collection of information (consultation), intermediate discussion, engagement and partnership (empowerment). The initial spread of information is a process of communicating with the stakeholders, informing and educating them and it is based on their willingness to be informed. The methods used in this stage are public displays, newsletters or press releases. The second step of consultation is based on transacting the opinions of stakeholders to the decision makers. Pools, surveys, public hearings or written responses are examples of the multitude of ways to achieve this objective and the main principle of openness of stakeholders. The third step is intermediate discussion where all sides of are invited to a dialogue using the tools such as public meetings, workshops or urban walks. The fourth step is an engagement based on humble negotiation, arbitration and mediation. The collaborative skill needed here is dealing with conflicts. The final step in the procedure is partnership and empowerment employing methods as multi-actor decision making, voting or referenda. The leading principle is cooperation. In this ultimate step, the stakeholders are becoming decision makers themselves and the success factor here is continuous evaluation.

Discovering the Significance of Housing Neighbourhoods by Assessing Their Attributes With a Digital Tool

“…However, difficulties have also been seen, such as the lower response rate for digital surveys (Brown & Weber, 2012, p. 320), the inability to communicate directly and in person, and the need to possess and be able to use a computer (Shen et al, 2012, p. 202). Moreover, as discussed by Finka et al (2017), general challenges for participatory processes also apply to digital methods, like declining public interest over time and the effect that people are more (or only) interested when personally confronted with a change or decision, the so-called NIMBY effect. The known problem of low trust in organising institutions and the participation process can be compounded by distrust in digital methods.…”

“…However, new patterns are harder to identify because AI is trained with existing digital data, which is so far incomplete because it does not cover, for example, all time periods, cultures, languages, or perspectives. Finka et al (2017) already addressed the confusion between professionals and citizens, but also between different professional disciplines in the use of terminology as a risk in participation processes. But beyond that general risk, digital analysis of terms is an additional challenge (Finka et al, 2017, p. 7).…”

Public Participation in Architectural Heritage Conservation—The Case of Wooden Arch Corridor Bridge “Qiansheng Bridge”

“…These studies demonstrate the importance of public participation. Secondly, some scholars [18][19][20][21] have pointed out that the selection of participants is crucial to the success of the public participation process and can effectively increase the level of public participation in the preservation of public buildings. The development of the Internet and social media has brought new changes to the protection of cultural heritage [22], promoting public participation in the protection of cultural heritage.…”

Driving Forces and Barriers for the Implementation of Mobility Services in Austria—A Practitioner Perspective

“…Nevertheless, besides creating advantages that might contribute to successful implementation, it may also create barriers and risks that were not considered in our analysis. These shortcomings could arise in the form of, e.g., higher costs, slower implementation, the potential generation of conflicts between stakeholders, and an increased risk of fatigue among actors (see [85]). According to McAndrews and Marcus [16], providing transportation professionals specific training (see also [85]) to enhance such processes could reduce these risks and guarantee, e.g., access for socially excluded groups who are sometimes not included.…”

“…These shortcomings could arise in the form of, e.g., higher costs, slower implementation, the potential generation of conflicts between stakeholders, and an increased risk of fatigue among actors (see [85]). According to McAndrews and Marcus [16], providing transportation professionals specific training (see also [85]) to enhance such processes could reduce these risks and guarantee, e.g., access for socially excluded groups who are sometimes not included. What the results also showed is that CTSPs strongly complement the decision criteria for the selection of project partners, as long-term cooperation for both execution and maintenance is often required, and the selection of suitable project partners has been positively associated with a higher level of trust and commitment among all stakeholders.…”