Citizens' preferences for urban planning participation processes: A latent class analysis

In urban planning, citizen participation is considered crucial to implement the ideas of the public and create support, contributing to the functioning of democracy. For an inclusive and representative participation process, it is important to involve a diverse group of citizens. However, certain groups (older, resourceful participants with political know-how) are consistently overrepresented in participation processes, creating a biased input and reducing democratic legitimacy. It is therefore important to study how to increase the likelihood of different groups of citizens to participate and this is particularly important for the currently understudied Dutch context. To add to the current knowledge based on mostly qualitative research, the quantitative method of an online stated choice experiment was applied. Rooted in utility theory, respondents chose eight times between two processes that varied on attributes such as location setting, frequency, and feedback. Data ( n = 308) were analyzed using a Latent Class model, distinguishing subgroups with distinct preferences in society. Results suggest that in general, initiators should provide feedback about the outcomes and decision-making process and the process should not be too demanding. Moreover, two distinct ‘types’ of citizens are identified: the engaged and the passive citizens. Specifically targeting passive citizens can be done by designing a participation process tailored to their preferences: a short and individual process. The findings of this study help organizing participation processes in ways that increase the chances of activating the currently passive citizens and thereby engagement of a more diverse group of citizens and a more inclusive and representative participation process.