Towards Socially Sustainable Citizen Participation

Abstract

Citizen participation is a practice in the built environment practised frequently in construction projects to voice the opinions of residents. However, the participation process is not a standard practice in the industry yet. With the new Environmental and Planning Act of 2024, participation will be the responsibility of the private sector within building project, embedding the participation process into the construction sector. This creates a chance to implement the process in a fundamental and sustainable manner and contribute to social sustainability in a neighbourhood. However, the lack of knowledge about participation, and only the just renewed focus on socially related goals contribute to an environment of uncertainty about how to implement citizen participation in such a fundamental manner.

This research investigates this relationship between the private-led citizen participation process and social sustainability, in regeneration projects in early post-war neighbourhoods, to contribute to the knowledge on how to fundamentally shape a participation process that stimulates social sustainability. Based on literature review, case studies and semi-structured interviews, the main question is answered:

“To what extent can the private-led citizen participation process during regeneration projects influence social sustainability in a neighbourhood?”

Through lessons learned and literature validation it becomes apparent that the participation process can stimulate social sustainability – however only when certain aspects are inherent of the participation process. The advice as a result of this research provides the reader with valuable lessons on what aspects of the citizen participation lead to a process that will contribute to social sustainability in the neighbourhood, supporting the private sector in the shift of participation responsibility towards them.