From Participation to Power. A justice-based analy-sis of participatory Urban Planning through policy capacity in Nijmegen
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2025-08-08
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en
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Urban greening is often promoted as a response to climate change and other urban challenges. However, critical literature highlights unequal impacts, raising concerns about procedural justice. Especially in participatory governance, it’s crucial to examine how inclusive, influential, and accessible such processes are in practice.
This thesis investigates whether and how urban greening participation processes can be considered procedurally just. It applies Simcock’s (2016) framework on inclusion, influence, and information, combined with Howlett et al.’s (2015) framework on individual-level policy capacities. A single-case study design was used, focusing on the participatory development of the Gebiedsvisie Stationsgebied Nijmegen. Methods included desk research, semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and participatory observations.
Findings show that while the process was formally open and well-documented, real inclusion was limited, with marginalized groups underrepresented. Influence was consultative, with decisions shaped by institutional agendas. Although information was available, accessibility remained a challenge. Individual-level policy capacities shaped perceptions of fairness.
It concludes that participation doesn’t automatically lead to empowerment. Justice remains fragile when individual skills, institutional agendas, and priorities are misaligned. It adds nuance to existing frameworks by showing that within well-designed participation, uneven reactive competences can undermine fairness. Strengthening outreach, simplifying communication, and other recommendations are essential for equitable urban greening.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen