In the latest issue of the journal PLANERIN, Bastian Hagmeier, Tobias Escher, Katharina Holec and Laura Mark summarise how public participation in local transport planning can take greater account of social diversity.
Summary
Local authorities use various participatory processes to involve citizens in the planning process, to improve proposals and to build acceptance. The article highlights the limitations of these consultations in terms of representing social diversity, as the respondents are not representative of the population as a whole. To increase diversity amongst the respondents, the authors set out two recommendations.
Results
Citizen participation is not representative of the population as a whole, but it can highlight local experiences and conflicts. It does not replace political decision-making, but is intended to improve the basis for such decisions and ensure transparency.
- Citizen participation often reaches a specific group of people: well-educated, middle-aged and male.
- Under-represented groups must therefore be involved to a greater extent, for example through targeted and low-threshold formats.
- Participatory processes should also be combined with social space analyses, mobility data and representative surveys in order to capture a range of different perspectives.
- Consensus is neither always possible nor absolutely necessary when making decisions on the mobility transition. It is advisable to have realistic expectations of the process, as the final decision rests with politicians and the administration.
Publication
Hagmeier, Bastian; Escher, Tobias; Holec, Katharina; Mark, Laura (2026): Vielfalt durch Beteiligung? Wie Konsultationen in der Verkehrsplanung gesellschaftliche Vielfalt berücksichtigen können. Planerin 04/26: 18-20.