Prerequisite:

Second-cycle Bologna degree in the relevant track or a university (level VII) degree.

Content (Syllabus outline):

• introduction to participatory research and planning
• public participation and democratic legitimacy of planning
• actors in the development process
• ladder of participation
• social power, influence, interests and participatory planning
• conflict and agreement in planning processes
• the role of participation in various planning theories
• methods in the participatory research and planning
• participatory planning in the practice
• social initiatives and movements as a for of social participation
• participatory planning in the Slovene legislation

Readings:

• Arnstein, S. R. (1969): A Ladder of Citizen Participation. Journal of the American Institute of Planners 35-4. Cambridge.
• Delyser, D., Sui, D. (2014): ‘Crossing the qualitative-quantitative chasm III: Enduring methods, open geography, participatory research, and the fourth paradigm’, Progress in Human Geography 38 (2).
• Dicks, B. (2014): ‘Participatory community regeneration: a discussion of risks, accountability and crisis in devolved Wales’, Urban Studies 51 (5).
• Flanegance, M. (1997): Citizen Participation in Planning. Oxford: Pergamon Press.
• Forester, F. J. (1999): The deliberative practitioner : encouraging participatory planning processes- Cambridge MIT.
• Israel, B. A., Schulz, A. J., Coombe, C. M., Parker, E. A., Reyes, A. G., Rowe, Z., & Lichtenstein, R. L. (2019): ‘Community-based participatory research’, Urban health 272.
• Kos, D. (2002): Praktična sociologija za načrtovalce in urejevalce prostora. Ljubljana: FDV.
• Legacy, C. (2017): ‘Is there a crisis of participatory planning?’, Planning Theory 16(4).
• Minkler, N., Wallerstein, N. (2008): ‘Introduction to community-based participatory research’, in Minkler, N., Wallerstein, N. (eds): Community-Based Participatory Research for Health: From Process to Outcomes. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, pp. 5-24.
• Pain, R. 2004: ‘Social geography: participatory research’, Progress in Human Geography 28, 2.
• Shannon, J., Hankins, K. B., Shelton, T., Bosse, A. J., Scott, D., Block, D., Fischer, H., Eaves, L. E., Jung, J.-K., Robinson, J., Solís, P., Pearsall, H., Rees, A., & Nicolas, A. (2020): ‘Community geography: Toward a disciplinary framework’, Progress in Human Geography: 1-22.
• Wynne-Jones, S., North, P., & Routledge, P. (2015): ‘Practising participatory geographies: Potentials, problems and politics’, Area: 47(3).

Objectives and competences:

The aim of the course is to introduce basic principles of participatory research and planning and thus train the students to:

• identify key actors in the planning process,
• engage stakeholders in the research and decision-making processes,
• understand the triggers of the individual and group decisions,
• know the foundations of the transdisciplinary and result oriented research in geography and planning

Intended learning outcomes:

• knowledge on theories, concepts, models and methods in the field of participatory research and planning
• ability to define key development tendencies and to link them with the planning theories
• knowledge on engaging stakeholders in planning activities
• identification of proper methodological approaches in the participatory research and planning, able to gain representative results
• put social participation in the context of social power and influence upon decision-making
• evaluate the role of participation in various planning theories

Learning and teaching methods:

Types of learning/teaching:

• Frontal teaching
• Independent students work
• e-learning

Teaching methods:

• Explanation
• Conversation/discussion/debate
• Work with texts
• Case studies
• Field work (e.g. company visits)
• Inviting guests from companies

Assessment:

Final examination (written/oral) (100 %).

Lecturer’s references:

• Nared, , Bole, D. 2020: Participatory research on heritage- and culture-based development: a perspective from South-East Europe. In: Nared, J., Bole, D. (Eds). Participatory research and planning in practice. Cham (Switzerland), Springer. pp: 107-119
• Nared, , Bole, D. 2020 (Eds): Participatory research and planning in practice. Cham (Switzerland), Springer, 227 pp.
• Tiran, J., Bole, D., Gašperič, P., Kozina, J., Kumer, P., & Pipan, P. (2019). Assessing the social sustainability of a small industrial town: the case of Velenje. Geografski Vestnik, 91(2).
• Goluža, M., Šubic-Kovač, M., Kos, D., & Bole, D. (2021). How the state legitimizes national development projects: The Third Development Axis case study, Slovenia. Acta geographica Slovenica, 61(2).
• Goluža, M. (2023). Conflicting interests in transport infrastructure planning : theoretical approaches and practical implications of conflict management in planning processes. Ruepert, G., Ilić, T. (Eds.): Young Geographers: showcasing research contributions in geography. Cham (Switzerland), Springer, 179–201.
• Goluža, M. (2022). Konflikti v prostorskem načrtovanju : kritični pregled teoretičnih pristopov k zmanjševanju konfliktnosti. Geografski vestnik, 94(1).