Planners’ notions of power : Analysis of practice stories about participatory planning in Latin America

Participatory processes are becoming widely established in areas such as policy and planning. They promise to achieve more inclusive, sustainable, and democratic outcomes. However, this is often only an ideal that is not achieved in reality due to dynamic power relations that shape planning practice...

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Autor principal: Wessels, Theresa
Formato: H2
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: SLU/Dept. of Urban and Rural Development 2022
Materias:
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author Wessels, Theresa
author_browse Wessels, Theresa
author_facet Wessels, Theresa
author_sort Wessels, Theresa
collection Epsilon Archive for Student Projects
description Participatory processes are becoming widely established in areas such as policy and planning. They promise to achieve more inclusive, sustainable, and democratic outcomes. However, this is often only an ideal that is not achieved in reality due to dynamic power relations that shape planning practice in various forms. Moreover, planning contexts differ between countries, producing different power dynamics that affect participatory processes. Planners have an essential role in identifying and facilitating different power relations, so their role is often linked to guiding participatory planning processes towards more balanced outcomes. Yet, the issue of power is insufficiently addressed and analyzed in the planning literature of the Global North and the Global South. To contribute to the discussion on power in participatory planning in the Global South and beyond, this study investigated how planners understand and experience power in Latin America. Therefore, interviews with planners from Argentina, Bolivia, and Colombia were conducted. Their practice stories were analyzed by drawing on the framework of the three dimensions of power. After being introduced to the three dimensions of power, they could relate to the second and third dimensions of power to varying degrees through their practical experience. The planners' practice stories illustrate how power can be exercised differently in the three dimensions and in the interplay of these dimensions in participatory planning processes. The practice stories make less visible power exercises in the second and third dimensions in planning practice more visible. Thus, they provide practical examples for planners that can promote reflection and understanding of how power works in practice. Furthermore, the findings point to the importance of looking beyond the formal, invited spaces of participatory planning processes and considering exercises of power that take place outside of planning processes. Therefore, the value of this work is that it provides valuable insights that can stimulate reflection and contribute to the development of a discussion on power in participatory planning in the Global South and beyond.
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spelling RepoSLU179252022-07-08T11:00:32Z Planners’ notions of power : Analysis of practice stories about participatory planning in Latin America Wessels, Theresa power participation planning planner first dimension of power second dimension of power third dimension of power Latin America global south Participatory processes are becoming widely established in areas such as policy and planning. They promise to achieve more inclusive, sustainable, and democratic outcomes. However, this is often only an ideal that is not achieved in reality due to dynamic power relations that shape planning practice in various forms. Moreover, planning contexts differ between countries, producing different power dynamics that affect participatory processes. Planners have an essential role in identifying and facilitating different power relations, so their role is often linked to guiding participatory planning processes towards more balanced outcomes. Yet, the issue of power is insufficiently addressed and analyzed in the planning literature of the Global North and the Global South. To contribute to the discussion on power in participatory planning in the Global South and beyond, this study investigated how planners understand and experience power in Latin America. Therefore, interviews with planners from Argentina, Bolivia, and Colombia were conducted. Their practice stories were analyzed by drawing on the framework of the three dimensions of power. After being introduced to the three dimensions of power, they could relate to the second and third dimensions of power to varying degrees through their practical experience. The planners' practice stories illustrate how power can be exercised differently in the three dimensions and in the interplay of these dimensions in participatory planning processes. The practice stories make less visible power exercises in the second and third dimensions in planning practice more visible. Thus, they provide practical examples for planners that can promote reflection and understanding of how power works in practice. Furthermore, the findings point to the importance of looking beyond the formal, invited spaces of participatory planning processes and considering exercises of power that take place outside of planning processes. Therefore, the value of this work is that it provides valuable insights that can stimulate reflection and contribute to the development of a discussion on power in participatory planning in the Global South and beyond. SLU/Dept. of Urban and Rural Development 2022 H2 eng https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/17925/
spellingShingle power
participation
planning
planner
first dimension of power
second dimension of power
third dimension of power
Latin America
global south
Wessels, Theresa
Planners’ notions of power : Analysis of practice stories about participatory planning in Latin America
title Planners’ notions of power : Analysis of practice stories about participatory planning in Latin America
title_full Planners’ notions of power : Analysis of practice stories about participatory planning in Latin America
title_fullStr Planners’ notions of power : Analysis of practice stories about participatory planning in Latin America
title_full_unstemmed Planners’ notions of power : Analysis of practice stories about participatory planning in Latin America
title_short Planners’ notions of power : Analysis of practice stories about participatory planning in Latin America
title_sort planners’ notions of power : analysis of practice stories about participatory planning in latin america
topic power
participation
planning
planner
first dimension of power
second dimension of power
third dimension of power
Latin America
global south