Apple Pie–Spinach Metaphor: Shall e-Democracy make Participatory Planning More Wholesome?

Abstract

Despite claims that planners' attitude towards public participation has not always been enthusiastic, there have been genuine attempts to devolve powers through participation—although seldom with success. In this paper we discuss several major attempts to improve participation in Sweden including case studies of e-participation. Despite great expectations on information and communication technologies, Swedish experience indicates that the status quo between planners and people remains.

Acknowledgements

The authors of this paper are grateful to two anonymous referees and the editor of this journal for their extremely useful comments and suggestions. Abdul Khakee carried out his part of the research for this paper during his tenure as visiting professor at the Department of Architecture and Urbanistica, Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy.

Notes

The apple pie–spinach metaphor was developed by Abdul Khakee in his presentation on e-participatory knowledge at a workshop organized by Grazia Concilio and Adele Celino at the Poytechnic University of Bari, Italy in July 2008.

Available at http://lithgow-schmidt.dk/sherry-aarnstein/ladder-of-citizen-participation.html.