What Determines the Substantive Influence of Public Participation? An Investigation of Planners’ Views on Conditions for Participatory Practices in Denmark

Abstract

Conditions that enable successful public participation have received increased attention in research and practice. This paper contributes with an empirical study of the conditions that determine the substantive influence of public participation processes. We explore a list of conditions in a Danish context through a survey of practitioners’ perceptions of practice and through interviews with practitioners. The findings support the growing criticism of the widespread notion that the choice of methods is a fundamental determinant of the success of public participation. The findings lead us to propose a more prominent role of contextual conditions in practice.

Keywords:

• Public participation
• substantive influence
• conditions
• participation methods
• context

Notes

1. The variable ‘political support’ is constructed by two variables: the extent to which my leaders/politicians prioritize public participation, and the frequency with which the political process obstructs the public participation.