Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Public participation in planning, though a foundational democratic principle, faces implementation challenges across diverse planning systems worldwide. This study examines participatory planning practice in Ireland and Serbia – two contexts shaped by distinct planning traditions yet confronting similar tensions between democratic ideals and practice realities. Through comparative analysis of four local land-use planning instruments (Development Plans and Local Area Plans in Ireland; Spatial Plans and General Regulation Plans in Serbia), the research investigates how institutional design, power relations, and democratic commitments embedded within planning systems fundamentally shape participatory outcomes. Beyond external pressures such as neoliberalisation and democratic decline, the study demonstrates that the internal dynamics of participation, seen in the quality of dialogue, distribution of knowledge, strength of civic networks, and negotiation of power among stakeholders, ultimately determine whether participatory processes enable genuine democratic engagement or reproduce existing hierarchies. Methodologically, the research triangulates statutory regulations, public hearing documentation, and non-statutory participation records across multiple planning scales. Employing a four-dimensional analytical framework, including informing, consultation, collaboration, and monitoring, the analysis traces information dissemination strategies, consultation mechanisms, collaborative practices, and transparency structures. Findings reveal that, while both systems remain largely at the informing and consulting levels, critical differences emerge: Ireland demonstrates multi-channel, immersive approaches, feedback-oriented consultation, and structured collaborative experimentation, whereas Serbia exhibits statutory-minimal information provision, objection-based adversarial procedures, and exceptional rather than systematic collaboration. The study advances comparative European planning scholarship by identifying how planning cultures, legislative frameworks, and institutional responsiveness generate divergent participatory outcomes even under similar global pressures, offering practical insights for strengthening inclusive urban governance across varied institutional contexts.
Source: Land
DOI: 10.3390/land15050730
Authors: Ana Perić, Antonije Ćatić, Siniša Trkulja
Institutions: University College Dublin, University of Belgrade
Language: English
Subfield: Geography, Planning and Development
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W7159794255