ABSTRACT
The role of the public in the planning and management of the urban environment has been a lasting concern of the planning systems in Northern European countries since the 1960s and 1970s. Politicians have subscribed – at least in principle – to the view that city-dwellers have the right to be informed and consulted and to express their opinions about matters that affect their environment. Planning officials, for their part, have claimed to have taken account of the views and wishes of the inhabitants of cities. However, participatory endeavours have clearly not accomplished as much as had been hoped for. In the early twenty-first century both politicians and planning officials are still criticised for failing to engage with the public and incorporate the public’s views into the final proposals and policies.1
