What is Participatory Planning in the Urban Setting?

Planning as practised today sharply contrasts with traditional planning which relied purely on experts’ judgement. Instead, participatory planning practices that put citizens at the centre of policy discussions have become increasingly popular. Recognising the rise of participation in urban planning practices, this short paper focuses on the definition of planning as a process of social transformation. It aims to explore five important dimensions concerning participatory planning in the urban setting. The next section sheds light on why planners engage in citizen engagement, focusing on the theoretical, methodological and practical functions of participatory planning. Section three describes the various forms of participatory urban planning. Section four reviews the current state of participation in urban planning. Section five looks at the question of who participates and the interests of different actors in participatory planning practices. Section six concludes by evaluating the link between participation and policy action