Federally mandated citizen participation has been controversial since its inception in 1964. It has been as difficult to implement in practice as it has been to define conceptually. An examination of the literature related to this federally mandated citizen participation uncovers a number of untested assumptions relating to the individual political behavior of those for whom participation is mandated. This literature concentrates on forms of organized group participation, and the direct action of these groups in the planning and policy-making process, but it tends to ignore the fact that participation in the organized neighborhood groups advocated is essentially an individual political decision. Also ignored is the substantial body of research and literature related to individual political behavior which generally finds that levels and rates of participation are a function of socio-economic factors. This well established research suggests those for whom participation is mandated--residents of low income and low socio-economic status neighborhoods--are the least likely to become politically active. The general weakness of this body of research and literature, which is based largely on the electoral process, is that it fails to adequately explain or predict the significant levels of participation actually exhibited by lower income and lower socio-economic status individuals in the War on Poverty, Model Cities, and similar programs. A more holistic model of political behavior based on social-psychological concepts allows a much broader view of the elements which may contribute to this more non-traditional type of political behavior. Such a model has been developed by Robert Lane and others. It suggests perceptual and attitudinal variables which may be especially useful in explaining and/or predicting the participation of lower socio-economic status individuals in these programs. These perceptual and attitudinal variables, and their relationships to political participation, are the focus of the research undertaken in this dissertation. Through a random sample household interview survey, a study of the perceptual and attitudinal variables associated with resident participation in elections, issues, and neighborhood groups was undertaken in two low income neighborhoods in the City of Portland, Oregon. The survey results suggest that individuals active in neighborhood groups and issues are not necessarily the same individuals highly involved in traditional electoral activity. These survey results indicate a number of perceptual and attitudinal variables significantly associated with participation in neighborhood groups and issues: (1) the perception of the existence of neighborhood problems; (2) salience of perceived neighborhood problems; (3) feelings of personal and/or group efficacy in doing something about the specific problems perceived; (4) perception of the social and political nature of identified neighborhood problems; (5) attitudes toward the value of participation as a desired end in itself; and (6) attitudes toward voting, petitioning, collective action, non-violent protest, and violent protest as approved and effective means to solve neighborhood problems. The survey results also indicate systematic differences in the perceptual and attitudinal variables associated with the participation of Black and White survey respondents. White participation appears to be much more highly related to the perception of neighborhood problems than Black participation. Whites in the study appear to participate as a means to solve problems they perceive in their neighborhood, while participation seems to be more an end in itself for the Blacks surveyed. The results of the survey tend to validate important elements of a social-psychological model of political behavior. The results also suggest that more attention needs to be focused on the relationships between individuals' perceptions of their environment and political behavior.

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Purpose: Low citizen adoption rates jeopardize the success and proliferation of e-government systems. This study aims to understand how the perception of environmental sustainability (ES) can influence a citizen’s intention to use e-government systems. Design/methodology/approach: In a case study in Peru, the technology acceptance model (TAM) adoption model is extended with the construct of ES and evaluated with structural equation modeling. An 18-element, in-person survey was constructed and administered to citizens of Lima, Peru who had prior exposure to e-government systems. Findings: The results show that citizens can be positively influenced to adopt e-government systems if they perceive that doing so will contribute to ES. Research limitations/implications: As this was a preliminary study, further research should focus on specific, as opposed to general, e-government systems, as well as encompassing a broader cross section of the population. Practical implications: Administrators of e-government initiatives can consider public-interest factors, alongside of the common self-interest factors, when looking to improve adoption rates of e-government systems. Originality/value: This is the first time that TAM has been extended with the construct of ES.

This thesis departs from the understanding of citizens concern for our Nature, and their feeling of powerlessness due to the climate crisis. Additionally, it has investigated the relationship between humans and nature, with the outcome that we need to start cooperating with our nature. As citizens need to become empowered to understand the issue of climate change before they can do any changes in their lives, education is key. To empower citizens in the issue of climate change I propose classrooms for environmentaland climatic knowledge development. The proposal is platforms with the goal of mutual learnings and meaningful interaction between academia and the community. Its organization is a collaboration that includes the necessary functions for both bottom-up and bottom-down initiated Citizen Science projects. Secondly, I propose the move of/ or initiation of new Research in Climate impact in Umeå, in an urban forest. This to create a closer relationship with the research and enabling participatory- and educational activities with the community. This thesis investigates the possibilities with knowledge cocreation as a response to societal change. Additionally, room for knowledge cocreation between the public and academia in Umeå in created. The aim is to empower citizens and strengthen the local community, and my hypothesis is that that the intervention acts as a catalyst for sustainable future development.

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Senior and the City investigate the question; what does it mean to age with dignity in the city? With recent years of pandemic precautions, as senior citizens were subdivided into a high-index group, a greater focus was set upon their living conditions due to the protection. The protective isolation bore discussions about loneliness and the value of social contact arose.  In my thesis project I have made a case study of the senior living home the Flower Fund. Through my research and the pre-conditions of the Flower Fund I have made three public gestures with the aim to link the activity within the buildings to the public life of the streets-cape without. Proposing architectural means which are effective in creating public spaces that is somehow generous and beneficial for both seniors and the city.

As long as the world continues to experience war, climate change, financial adversity,and persecution; the number of refugees will only continue to grow along with the needto develop more effective and innovative integration strategies. Currently, to address theongoing challenges that refugees face in Europe, the European Commission has publishedthe Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021-2027, illustrating the criteria for theadequate inclusion of migrants and refugees in EU Member States. While focusing oneach of the key areas discussed in the Action Plan- education, employment, healthcare,and housing- the present study also turns its attention to the growing practice of CitizenScience (CS) as a potential means of contributing to the EU’s endeavours. As establishedin the literature covered in this paper, CS is understood as research practices relying onthe general public’s engagement in different research tasks that focus on matters ofcommon concern among researchers and different communities. Due to the potentialshown by this open, flexible, and participatory quality of these practices, this study hasproceeded to investigate which EU requirements for inclusion are met by CS initiativesbased on the correlations in CS principles and strategies with the EU Action Plan criteria.Following a qualitative research method based on comparative text analysis of EU andCS documents, as well as interviews with members of four CS case studies, this paperhas identified several principles and working areas that align with CS and Europeanintegration requirements for refugees. Nonetheless, the study results also show certainlimitations to the influence that CS projects can have for refugee’s integration which arebased on the short-term impacts of this practice and the lack of general acceptance anduse of CS research data among policy-makers in the EU and its Member States. Based onthese results, the usefulness and relevance of CS initiatives to integration efforts withinEurope can be said to exhibit certain potential although, limited and largely unexploredin policy-making and academia.

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The primary purposes of the study are to explain the essentials of citizen participation and see how the community has reacted to an actual example of citizen participation, the North Pickering Public Participation Program. Citizen participation emerges as a consequence of both the planners' and the people's consciousness. It means different things to different people, but few cases represent true participation. In the study, an implicit comparison is made between an officially initiated public participation process and a community-preferred one. Urbanization and suburbanization have brought about intense growth in the existing urban centres and tremendous loss of agricultural land in Southern Ontario. The choice of North Pickering as the site for a new town is claimed to be an answer to the growth objective of decentralization and deconcentration. Its planning process has proceeded with a large-scale citizen participation program. "Information and consultation" are the official strategies from which "decision-making is to be a shared one". Most people are not happy with the participation process for they have not been truly consulted and their opinions have not been considered, although official sources say the final plan for North Pickering reflects public inputs. The community prefers a process in which they are given some power over the bargaining process.It is suggested that the North Pickering Participation Process represents some degree of tokenism. The officials have the intent, but not the proper way, of involving the people. Thus frustrations arise on both sides. This probably explains why a similar process will not go with the planning of Townsend, another new town to be built in Southen1 Ontario. Though not satisfactory, citizen participation in North Pickering is a worthwhile experience. It should be a start rather than an end in itself. / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)