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Land
Special Issues
Participatory Land Planning: Theory, Methods, and Case Studies
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Participatory Land Planning: Theory, Methods, and Case Studies

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Planning and Landscape Architecture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2025 | Viewed by 11279

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Oswaldo Ledesma González

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geography and History, University of La Laguna, 38200 San Cristobal de La Laguna, Spain
Interests: urban geography; tourism geography; urban and land planning; governance; social network analysis
Dr. Rafael Merinero Rodríguez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sociology, University of Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain
Interests: urban and metropolitan policy; strategic urban planning; public policy and governance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, participation in land and urban planning processes has received growing interest in both academia and public administration. Following the era of the “designed plan”, on expert knowledge and legitimized by disciplinary knowledge, planning approaches have emerged that pay greater attention to participation in territorial decision making and question the more conventional hierarchical nature. Different methods and instruments have been designed and implemented to channel participation in planning (action planning event, community planning forum, prioritising, etc.), although there is still some way to go. In this sense, there is debate about the role of participation in planning, its advantages and disadvantages, who should participate, the relationship between the actors, what methods to implement, etc. There are still questions to be resolved, including the following: How should this be done? What is the appropriate spatial scale for participation? How can professionals best take advantage of local knowledge and resources? How can we change the way we understand space? Who should decide?

We hope that this Special Issue will contribute to improving the understanding of participation in territorial and urban planning and facilitate international exchange. Thus, we are interested in contributions that link participation with territorial and urban planning, whether through theoretical, methodological work or empirical research through case studies.

The goal of this Special Issue is to present papers (original research articles and review papers) that provide insights into participation in land and urban planning.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

  • Theory of land and urban planning;
  • Land and urban policy;
  • Collaborative planning;
  • Strategic planning;
  • Territorial governance;
  • Actor networks.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Oswaldo Ledesma González
Dr. Rafael Merinero Rodríguez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • collaborative planning
  • governance
  • land management
  • network management
  • participation
  • strategic planning
  • town planning
  • urban agenda
  • urban and land planning
  • urban and land policy

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 2764 KiB  
Article
Participatory Planning and Gamification: Insights from Hungary
by Katinka Tóbiás and Lajos Boros
Land 2025, 14(3), 573; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030573 - 8 Mar 2025
Viewed by 745
Abstract
Involving citizens in public decision making has become more and more important recently. However, activating citizens is challenging in urban planning, especially in post-socialist countries, such as Hungary, where civil activity is weak, and citizens’ attitudes are characterized by distrust towards decision-makers. The [...] Read more.
Involving citizens in public decision making has become more and more important recently. However, activating citizens is challenging in urban planning, especially in post-socialist countries, such as Hungary, where civil activity is weak, and citizens’ attitudes are characterized by distrust towards decision-makers. The gamification of planning processes aims to address this issue and support a more democratic planning process. Gamification is the application of game-like elements (e.g., rewards, storytelling, feedback, competition, etc.) in non-game contexts, thus transforming them into more engaging and enjoyable activities. This study aims to present how gamification is used in the Hungarian urban planning processes and the obstacles to using gamified practices. The research is based on semi-structured interviews with urban planning experts in major Hungarian cities. Our results show that although decision-makers are open to using participatory approaches and gamification techniques, no clear guidelines and principles support these aspirations. The lack of trust and the apathy of citizens makes participatory planning a challenging task. Furthermore, the lack of resources is an obstacle and motivation at the same time when innovative planning methods are used. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Participatory Land Planning: Theory, Methods, and Case Studies)
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25 pages, 4704 KiB  
Article
Participatory Land Planning, Community Land Trusts, and Managed Retreat: Transforming Informality and Building Resilience to Flood Risk in Puerto Rico’s Caño Martín Peña
by Ivis García and Leslie Martínez-Román
Land 2025, 14(3), 485; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030485 - 26 Feb 2025
Viewed by 846
Abstract
El Caño Martín Peña (CMP), a cluster of eight historically informal neighborhoods in San Juan, Puerto Rico, faces long-standing challenges of inadequate infrastructure, persistent flooding, and displacement pressures. In response, the G8 collective—a coalition representing these communities—and the Martín Peña Canal Community Land [...] Read more.
El Caño Martín Peña (CMP), a cluster of eight historically informal neighborhoods in San Juan, Puerto Rico, faces long-standing challenges of inadequate infrastructure, persistent flooding, and displacement pressures. In response, the G8 collective—a coalition representing these communities—and the Martín Peña Canal Community Land Trust (CLT) establishment have developed a participatory planning model prioritizing resilience and housing security. This unique and exemplary model of a participatory planning case study, grounded in document analysis and participant observation, explores how the G8 and CLT have driven transformative improvements in CMP, addressing informality, mitigating flood risks, and preventing displacement. Findings highlight how community-driven governance fosters trust and enhances long-term sustainability, offering valuable insights for equitable urban development and spatial justice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Participatory Land Planning: Theory, Methods, and Case Studies)
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23 pages, 4689 KiB  
Article
Securing Land Tenure Through Participatory Upgrading Processes: Women’s Experiences in Freedom Square, Gobabis, Namibia
by Tanzila Ahmed, Astrid Ley, Mohamed Salheen and Jennilee Kohima
Land 2025, 14(2), 373; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020373 - 11 Feb 2025
Viewed by 628
Abstract
In Namibia, informal settlements are usually upgraded by a participatory process aimed at providing inhabitants with land tenure security through the Flexible Land Tenure Act (FLTA), followed by the provision of basic services. The pilot FLTA implementation case is the upgrading of the [...] Read more.
In Namibia, informal settlements are usually upgraded by a participatory process aimed at providing inhabitants with land tenure security through the Flexible Land Tenure Act (FLTA), followed by the provision of basic services. The pilot FLTA implementation case is the upgrading of the Freedom Square settlement in Gobabis, which was a woman-led process. This research analyzes both the experiences of the women participating during the process as well as the immediate and long-term perceived impacts on their social and economic conditions. The empirical data were collected through interviews and a focus group discussion with experts and key participants in the development process. The findings highlight socio–economic challenges faced by the participating women, including insufficient support from family and limited economic opportunities. Throughout the process, stakeholders shifted their aims. This shift influenced the involvement of women, changing their roles from active participants to service recipients. While the main goals of receiving land tenure and service provision were partially fulfilled, the long-term impact of the process on women is varied from how it was initially envisioned. This was largely due to the absence of a comprehensive plan to improve their livelihoods. The results show that for participatory land tenure processes to become inclusive, a stronger gender-mainstreaming agenda becomes necessary. It also emphasizes holistic development planning as a key factor for long-term success. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Participatory Land Planning: Theory, Methods, and Case Studies)
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17 pages, 4442 KiB  
Article
Civic Engagement in Urban Planning and Development
by Liisa Horelli and Sirkku Wallin
Land 2024, 13(9), 1446; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13091446 - 6 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3391
Abstract
The scientific literature has revealed that there is often a discrepancy between urban planning initiatives and the actual development of cities. Urban development is a complex process strongly affected by the self-organisation of citizens and entrepreneurs, who produce services and events, create new [...] Read more.
The scientific literature has revealed that there is often a discrepancy between urban planning initiatives and the actual development of cities. Urban development is a complex process strongly affected by the self-organisation of citizens and entrepreneurs, who produce services and events, create new public places, and shape urban regeneration through everyday practices. However, the actors of self-organised urban development are rarely met in participatory urban planning practices. The gap raises the research problem of how to recognise and facilitate civic engagement in urban development. The authors of this article have been investigating the ontology and methodology of urban planning and development over the past two decades, culminating in the framework of expanded urban planning. The article aims to present multiple approaches to civic engagement in urban planning and development, based on an updated longitudinal study conducted in a Helsinki neighbourhood. The authors argue that urban planning should be updated with expanded urban planning (EP), which extends the focus of civic engagement from public participation to self-organisation and everyday life practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Participatory Land Planning: Theory, Methods, and Case Studies)
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24 pages, 4496 KiB  
Article
Mining versus Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas: Traditional Land Uses of the Anisininew in the Red Sucker Lake First Nation, Manitoba, Canada
by Chima Onyeneke, Bruce Harper and Shirley Thompson
Land 2024, 13(6), 830; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060830 - 11 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2101
Abstract
Indigenous traditional land uses, including hunting, fishing, sacred activities, and land-based education at the Red Sucker Lake First Nation (RSLFN) in Manitoba, Canada, are impacted by mining. The Red Sucker Lake First Nation (RSLFN) people want their territories’ land and water to be [...] Read more.
Indigenous traditional land uses, including hunting, fishing, sacred activities, and land-based education at the Red Sucker Lake First Nation (RSLFN) in Manitoba, Canada, are impacted by mining. The Red Sucker Lake First Nation (RSLFN) people want their territories’ land and water to be protected for traditional uses, culture, and ecological integrity. Towards this goal, their Island Lake Tribal Council sought support for an Indigenous-protected and conserved area (IPCA) in their territory, outside of existing mining claims, but without success. The two-eyed seeing approach was adopted in this study. Traditional land use mapping and interviews were undertaken with 21 Indigenous people from the RSLFN, showing that many traditional land uses are concentrated on greenstone belts. The interviews revealed that mining exploration has resulted in large petroleum spills, noise distress, private property destruction, wildlife die-offs, and animal population declines. These issues negatively impact RSLFN’s traditional land use practices, ecosystem integrity, and community health. Governments need to partner with Indigenous communities to reach their biodiversity targets, particularly considering northern Canada’s peatlands, including those in the RSLFN territory, surpassing Amazon forests for carbon storage. The role of critical minerals in renewable energy and geopolitics has colonial governments undermining Indigenous rights, climate stabilization, and biodiversity to prioritize extractivism. Mining at the RSLFN has environmental impacts from exploration to decommissioning and after, as well as the massive infrastructure required that includes roads, hydro, and massive energy supplies, with a proposed multimedia national Northern Corridor to export RSLFN’s resources and other resources to six ports. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Participatory Land Planning: Theory, Methods, and Case Studies)
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17 pages, 2175 KiB  
Article
Use of the Sociogram in Participatory Planning in Contexts of Social Exclusion: A Comparative Case Study in Cordoba Neighbourhoods, Spain
by Antonio Delgado-Baena and Antonio Sianes
Land 2024, 13(5), 706; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050706 - 17 May 2024
Viewed by 1742
Abstract
Urban regeneration and spatial planning have adopted a new participatory approach in recent decades, highlighting the importance of integrating the community in urban decision-making processes, especially in disadvantaged and socially excluded areas. In this context, the sociogram emerges as an essential tool for [...] Read more.
Urban regeneration and spatial planning have adopted a new participatory approach in recent decades, highlighting the importance of integrating the community in urban decision-making processes, especially in disadvantaged and socially excluded areas. In this context, the sociogram emerges as an essential tool for collaborative governance, allowing the visualization and analysis of the dynamics between the different actors involved. This study employs a comparative case study approach in three disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Córdoba, Spain, to examine how the sociogram can facilitate more effective and democratic participation in urban planning. Using heat maps, scatter plots and average analysis, relationships between actors are identified and characterized, providing a solid basis for more inclusive and equitable planning decisions. This analysis not only reveals the practical utility of the sociogram in participatory research but also underscores its theoretical relevance in building resilient and cohesive communities. Findings confirm the sociogram’s effectiveness in mapping stakeholder dynamics and enhancing participatory governance, ultimately fostering more informed and inclusive urban planning processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Participatory Land Planning: Theory, Methods, and Case Studies)
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