RETHINKING DEMOCRATIC URBAN PLANNING: REFLECTING ON EQUITABLE AND ETHICAL APPROACHES FOR THE MULTI-CRISIS ERA

Organizers

Ana Peric, University College Dublin
Erhan Kurtarir, Yildiz Techical University
Marco Pütz, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL

Contributors

Sofia Morgado, University of Lisbon
Erblin Berisha, Politecnico di Torino
Milan Husar, Slovak University of Technology
Richard Gale, Cardiff University
Savaş Zafer Şahin, Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University
İdil Akyol Koçhan, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University
Tülin Hadi, Istanbul Citizens' Assembly
Linda Fox-Rogers, University College Dublin
Marco Cremaschi, Sciences Po

Despite a growing number of urban policies promoting multi-sectoral cooperation, robust theoretical foundations on collaboration, justice, and social inclusion, and emerging co-production, co-creation, and co-design approaches, adverse global political and economic trends continue to erode democracy in urban development. This erosion manifests in poor policy implementation, the critique of collaborative planning as a smokescreen for unilateral decision-making, and the sporadic rather than systemic application of cooperative planning practices.

This roundtable examines the erosion of democracy in urban development as a critical challenge in the context of the multi-crisis era of the society, marked by climate change, economic instability, social inequality, and political polarization. A core consequence of this erosion is the contested legitimacy of urban planning. Instead of serving as a tool to protect the public interest, contemporary urban planning increasingly struggles against populist and authoritarian political regimes, as well as neoliberal economic pressures. Thus, we will explore the concepts and methods of democratic urban planning aimed at rebuilding public trust and reinvigorating planning as an essential tool for equitable and ethical urban development.

The discussion will address the following questions:

1. How can we comprehensively assess democratic urban planning across Europe, considering varied historical paths, planning traditions, and the interplay between global trends and local dynamics? Which stakeholders are essential to enabling democratic urban planning, and how can their roles be strengthened?
2. To what extent do various planning policies and practices emerge as democratic when examined through the lenses of formal planning frameworks (institutions and instruments) as well as cultural norms deeply embedded in society? How can we ensure that these frameworks and norms align with principles of justice, inclusion, and equity? How can we localise and operationalise the general frameworks?
3. How can we facilitate knowledge transfer across diverse social spheres? How can academic insights be translated into democratic planning principles, how can these professional tenets be integrated into citizens’ daily lives, and how can deliberative planning tools become embedded in administrative and procedural frameworks to improve democratic urban planning?
4. What lessons can be learnt from comparing democratic and non-democratic approaches to urban planning, and how can ethical codes of urban planning ensure accountability in decision-making processes? How can ethical principles guide the transformation of urban planning practices globally, drawing on European experience?

By convening scholars and practitioners from diverse academic, cultural, and professional backgrounds, this roundtable will identify key barriers to implementing democratic and ethical principles in urban planning. It will also explore how lessons learned from Europe can contribute a global agenda for equitable and sustainable urban development. The discussion will emphasise the need for new practical methodologies of urban planning to combat corruption, ensure inclusive planning, and rebuild public trust in planning institutions. Ultimately, this roundtable aims to open a path toward meaningful transformation by fostering dialogue, sharing best practices, and developing actionable recommendations for democratic urban planning in an increasingly interconnected and crisis-prone world. 

Key words: N/A