People shape the development of our society and the majority of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Given these circumstances, there is high value in supporting municipalities in their transition towards sustainability. Municipalities have the opportunity to engage directly with the general public by utilizing a participatory approach in planning and decision making. This thesis explores the conditions that enable and hinder municipalities from (i) engaging with the public and (ii) achieving effective and meaningful participation from their citizens. The findings of this study were incorporated into the Ideal Case for Strategic Integrated System Development (SISD), an outline for participatory and cross-sectoral planning towards sustainability in cities and nations. The research focused on developing the elements of engagement and participation in the Ideal Case for SISD, thereby adding depth to the suggested planning process and making it more relevant for engagement and sustainability practitioners. / <p>sustainablecommunitiesstudy@gmail.com</p>

The thesis titled Legal aspects of constructing a deep geological repository od nuclear waste in the Czech Republic deals with the administrative procedures that needs to be taken before beginning construction of a deep geological repository. Work can be divided into three major parts. The first part deals with analysis of current legislation relating to nuclear energy, with emphasis on the treatment of nuclear waste. International and European commitments of the Czech Republic, current and new Atomic act, as well as institutional and financial arrangements for nuclear waste management are also included in this part. The following section has been devoted to the various administrative procedures. The goal of this section in not to provide complete description of the procedures, but to highlight points of interest and identify potential problems of current legislation and to propose better solution. The last major part is dedicated to public participation in the various administrative procedures. Emphasis is placed on the possibility of involvement of public and the affected communities in related administrative procedures. This chapter also contains a draft of the bill on community involvement in the process of selecting a site for deep repository.

The topic of this thesis is Environmental Impact Assessment and Public Participation. The structure of the thesis consists of six chapters that are further divided into several sections and subsections. The first chapter introduces the concept of EIA in reference to the principles upon which the concept is based on. The following chapter addresses a number of international and EU legal documents related to the concept of EIA and its legal regulation. The third and fourth chapter should be considered as a fundamental part of the thesis, which focuses on the legal regulation of the concept of EIA in the Czech Republic and the Act No. 39/2015 Coll., amending the act on environmental impact assessment. The last chapter summarises and evaluates the findings of the previous chapters.

The Tea Party movement’s effect on local and regional planning in Virginia has received little study. This work identifies how conservative political activism has impacted planning in the Commonwealth and how planners have responded. The study relies on a qualitative approach involving 22 semi-structured interviews with activists, planners, and citizens, as well as textual analyses of planning documents, local and regional news reports, and Tea Party social media. The resultant findings show that Tea Party activism is rooted in deep seated ideals about private property rights and individualism. It also reveals that planning processes that increased the amount of public input had the effect of mitigating the impact of activism. The study concludes by suggesting that strategies based in the communicative style of planning offer an effective way to overcome such opposition while enhancing the many benefits of having significant citizen input in the planning process.

Intresset för medborgardialog och medborgardeltagande ökar och många kommuner önskar utöka och förbättra sin kommunikation med medborgarna. För att öka inflytandet och förbättra medborgardialogen är det viktigt att involvera medborgarna i ett tidigt skede i planprocessen. Studier har visat att planer där allmänheten involverats tidigt i planprocessen har större chans att gå igenom utan överklagan. Den här studien riktar sig främst till svenska kommuner och yrkesverksamma inom samhällsplanering. Det huvudsakliga syftet med studien är att övergripande undersöka vilka metoder och verktyg svenska kommuner använder för att kommunicera med medborgarna. För att ta reda på vilka metoder som används och hur dess fungerar har en enkätundersökning skickats ut till 62 kommuner med olika storlek och geografisk spridning. Fyra kompletterande semi-strukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med tre olika kommuner. Resultatet visade att svenska kommuner använder sig i övervägande av olika typer av dialogmöten och masskommunikation i sin kommunikation med medborgarna. Kommunerna uttryckte däremot en önskan om att använda fler digitala metoder om det fanns resurser inom kommunen. Många kommuner uttryckte missnöje över hur samrådsmöten och stormöten fungerar samtidigt som det är en av de vanligaste metoderna för medborgardialog. För att förbättra medborgardialogen och bredda delaktigheten krävs att dialogen inleds i ett tidigt skede och att metoder och verktyg som tilltalar en bredare allmänhet används. / The interest in public participation is increasing and many municipalities express a wish to expand and improve their dialogue with the citizens. It is important to involve the citizens at an early stage in the planning process to increase the influence and improve the public participation. Studies have shown that the plans in which the public is involved at an early stage in the planning process are more likely to pass without any objections. This study is primarily focused on Swedish municipalities and professionals in urban planning. The main purpose of the study is to systematically investigate methods and tools that Swedish municipalities use to communicate with the public. To find out what methods are used and how they work s questionnaire has been sent out to 62 municipalities of different size and geographical location. Four additional semi-structured interviews were conducted with three different municipalities. The result showed that Swedish municipalities mostly use different dialogue meetings communicate with the public. However, they express a wish to use more digital methods if they had the resources to do so. Many municipalities expressed dissatisfaction over how the public hearings and larger meetings work while it is on the contrary the most common methods of communication with the public. In order to improve public participation it is important to involve and invite the public to communicate at an early stage in the planning process and to use methods that will appeal to a wider audience.

Städer är en plats där många individer lever tillsammans och det urbana offentliga rummet utgör en viktig plats där en rad olika utmaningar så som segregation påverkar hur individer möts. Halmstad kommun har tagit fasta på en kreativ och kulturell gestaltning när de ska förnya stadens kärna, Nissan. Målet är att sammanföra befolkning från båda sidorna av Nissan, istället för att vattnet ska vara en skiljande barriär. Detta ska de göra genom Kulturstråk, en slinga på åtta kilometer. Syftet med vår studie handlar om att undersöka hur medborgarna och projektledningen har upplevt sitt deltagande och inflytande över Kulturstråk Nissan samt hur projektet kan bidra till social sammanhållning och social hållbarhet för invånarna i Halmstad. I den teoretiska begreppsramen har vi använt oss av Jönhills (2012) begrepp exklusion/inklusion, Floridas (2006) teori om den kreativa klassen och Mitchells (2003) begrepp representation ur rätten till staden. Studien har tagit sin utgångspunkt i hermeneutiken med kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer med 10 intervjupersoner. Resultatet visar att alla invånare inte varit inkluderade men att de som deltagit känt sig inkluderade. / Cities are a place where many individuals live together and the urban public space is an important place where a variety of challenges such as segregation affect how individuals meet. The municipality of Halmstad has established a creative and cultural approach when renewing the city's core, which they mean is at Nissan. Their goal is to bring together the people from both sides of Nissan, instead of the water being a separating barrier. They will make this through a cultural passage, an area of eight kilometers. The purpose of our study is to investigate how the citizens and project management have experienced their participation and influence over Kulturstråk Nissan and how the project can contribute to social cohesion and social sustainability for the inhabitants of Halmstad. In the theoretical conceptual framework, we have used Jönhills (2012) concept exclusion / inclusion, Floridas (2006) theory of the creative class and Mitchell's (2003) concept representation in the theory of the right to the city. The study has taken its starting point in hermeneutics with qualitative semistructured interviews. The result shows that all residents were not included but that those who participated felt included.

Magister Artium - MA / The birth of democracy in South Africa in 1994 not only meant the end of apartheid, but also served as the catalyst for community participation in the affairs of local government. Despite the creation of an enabling environment, i.e. the adoption of the concept of Developmental Local Government and Integrated Development Planning Framework to ensure the participation of communities, public participation remains contested today and still does not achieve its expected results. A range of problems besets public participation in governance and development planning. Accordingly, this thesis presents a case study of the barriers to meaningful public participation as well as exploration of the context and extent of public participation in Ward 28, Elsies River, Cape Town, South Africa. The investigation examined the link between public participation, development planning and service delivery. In order to achieve the stated aim, the researcher employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods including secondary analysis, observation, informal interviewing, focus group discussions as well as the administration of a structured questionnaire to various stakeholders. Based on the empirical results of this research, the study provides a number of developmental guidelines and public participation recommendations to enhance planning and service delivery, especially in poor communities. / South Africa

Magister Scientiae (Integrated Water Resource Management) / The questions posed in this study address the different processes that were involved in the decision-making and establishment of the water management organisations, the extent of public participation, as well as features of evident governance in implementing the policies. A critical analysis of the role of stakeholders and the various influences they may have in water management will also be examined. The methodology follows a historical study approach. A thorough document review will be done of the policies and related materials around BMCs, where events will be constructed from the findings. Interviews will be conducted for verification purposes, to verify the desktop findings and to assimilate any conflicts of opinion that might have not been documented. / South Africa

Na cidade de São Paulo, as inundações, consideradas a consequência das chuvas intensas e da impermeabilização do solo urbano, têm causado impactos consideráveis. As contínuas e frequentes inundações e as intervenções para contê-las, de alto custo para o Poder Público, justificam a busca de uma abordagem complementar à puramente técnica-hidráulica, que dê atenção aos aspectos sociopolíticos inerentes à drenagem urbana e ao manejo de águas pluviais, o foco principal desta pesquisa. Seus objetivos são: uma análise crítica sobre a incorporação do sociopolítico na malha de disciplinas do curso de Engenharia Civil; uma análise crítica da visão dos profissionais envolvidos, direta ou indiretamente, com a gestão urbana sobre a incorporação de aspectos sociais no planejamento e na implantação de obras de drenagem urbana; e se estes aspectos são incorporados aos projetos de obras de drenagem e se atores sociais localizados na área de uma bacia hidrográfica valorizam esta incorporação. A pesquisa concluiu que, ainda que aspectos sociopolíticos estejam incorporados na malha de disciplinas dos cursos de Graduação em Engenharia Civil e ainda que os profissionais da gestão urbana valorizem os aspectos sociais tanto quanto os aspectos técnicos das obras de drenagem, o planejamento e a implantação de obras de drenagem em construção na área da bacia hidrográfica, foco geográfico desta pesquisa, não incorporam os aspectos relativos ao sociopolítico. A bibliografia consultada e os exemplos concretos apresentados mostram a importância da incorporação dos aspectos sociopolíticos nas intervenções. Os conceitos discutidos ajudaram a formular recomendações para a incorporação do sociopolítico na malha das disciplinas e nos projetos de obras hidráulicas. São recomendações que visam, além da preservação ambiental e do atendimento ao interesse público, maximizar os benefícios da solução técnica. / In the city of São Paulo, intensive rains and urban impervious cover are being held responsible for flooding events which have been causing increase in runoff volume and in peak discharge. The high costs of technical hydraulic interventions to contain the frequent flooding impacts justify the search for an alternative approach: the incorporation of the sociopolitical complexities of urban stormwater drainage, the main theme of this research. Its objectives are: understand if and how sociopolitical complexities are being incorporated to Civil Engineering education; how professionals directly or indirectly involved in urban stormwater management see the incorporation of sociopolitical complexities in planning and implementation of stormwater drainage construction works and, finally, if these complexities are integrated in the projects being planned and being implemented in an urban watershed area. The research concluded that Civil Engineering education incorporate courses which open space for the discussion of sociopolitical aspects; that professionals involved in urban management value the incorporation of sociopolitical aspects in planning and implementation of storm water construction projects, but that in the watershed area where projects are being implemented such aspects are not taken into account. The bibliography and the concrete examples examined show the importance of incorporating sociopolitical aspects in drainage construction projects. The concepts brought forward help identify recommendations for the incorporation of sociopolitical aspects in Civil Engineering education and in the planning and implementation of stormwater constructions projects. These are recommendations which aim at increasing environmental preservation, meeting the public interest and maximizing the benefits of the technical solution.

Paris et Tokyo, les deux grandes capitales mondiales attirent les touristes, étudiants, artistes et investisseurs nationaux et étrangers. Pour faire face à leurs compétiteurs, ces deux grandes villes lancent plusieurs projets d'urbanisme. À Paris comme à Tokyo, les chantiers se trouvent dans plusieurs quartiers. Mais la procédure de l'établissement d'un plan d'urbanisme et le processus de sa réalisation sont très différents dans les deux pays. La France est un pays décentralisé comme le déclare l'article 1er de la Constitution du 4 octobre 1958 : « l'organisation de la République » est décentralisée. Le Japon est, par contre, un pays très centralisé. Les Japonais s'adaptent au pilotage directif, les Français apprécient le pilotage participatif. Le plan d'urbanisme est donc établi au niveau local en France, tandis que l'État et les départements prennent l'initiative au Japon, même si le pouvoir de l'élaboration d'un plan local d'urbanisme (Masterplan) est attribué aux collectivités publiques depuis 2000. Le Masterplan doit refléter les opinions des habitants. Mais la participation publique au Japon est plus réticente, alors qu'en France, toutes les personnes concernées peuvent participer à tous les processus de l'élaboration d'un plan d'urbanisme. Au Japon, depuis 1998, l'examen de la demande du permis de construire peut être délégué à une organisation privée, à la place d'un agent de la fonction publique territoriale. Depuis 2002, pour les mesures spéciales, le droit de l'expropriation peut être également confié à une personne morale de droit privé. Depuis 2003, le plan d'urbanisme peut être aussi proposé par les propriétaires de terrains et les opérateurs privés. L'inconvénient de la délégation de certains services aux personnes morales de droit privé, c'est le mercantilisme du projet d'urbanisme. Plusieurs immeubles de grande hauteur sont construits dans les zones commerciales localisées au centre-ville et même dans des zones résidentielles où il n'est permis de bâtir que des pavillons de faible hauteur. Les promoteurs de ces grandes constructions entrent souvent en conflit avec les habitants au voisinage, qui veulent conserver le paysage et l'environnement du quartier. À Paris, les immeubles de grande hauteur sont construits en périphérie de Paris. Depuis 2011, la limite de hauteur est fixée à 50 mètres. Les immeubles de grande hauteur permettent d'augmenter la surface totale habitable. Pour attribuer des logements aux étudiants, immigrés étrangers, gens du voyage et personnes les plus défavorisées, Paris encourage la construction de logements sociaux. À Tokyo, par contre, aucun nouveau logement social n'est construit depuis 1999 sous prétexte que la population commence à baisser. À Tokyo et à Kawasaki (voisine de Tokyo), en raison de la crise économique et de la baisse de la population des jeunes (20-30ans), les nouveaux logements ne se vendent pas bien depuis quelques années. En l'absence de plan d'urbanisme pour les habitants, les immeubles de grande hauteur qui se dressent partout gâchent le paysage. Malheureusement, au Japon, les tribunaux protègent rarement les intérêts privés des habitants. À la différence de la France, il n'existe pas de tribunaux administratifs qui soient compétents pour tout litige avec l'administration. Au Japon, les requêtes sont donc déposées devant le juge judiciaire. Les juges soutiennent souvent les pouvoirs publics. Une voie de recours pour demander la suspension provisoire des décisions a été créée seulement en 2004 dans le but d'élargir la protection des intérêts privés. Le juge examine si les dommages ne sont pas trop graves pour pouvoir être réparés, c'est-à-dire, qu'il évalue si la gravité des dommages produits par la décision administrative caractérise un abus du pouvoir administratif. Dans la plupart des cas, l'administration gagne le procès. Non seulement les habitants perdent le procès, mais il arrive fréquemment que les recours ne soient pas accueillis par le tribunal (...) / Paris and Tokyo are; two world capitals which attract tourists, students, artists and foreign investors. To face their competitors, these two big cities are starting several urban planning projects. In Paris, as in Tokyo, construction takes place in several districts. However, the procedures for establishing city planning schemes and the process of their realization are very different in both countries. France is a decentralized country as proscribed the article 1 of the Constitution of 4 October 1958: «the organization of the Republic» is decentralized. Japan is, on the other hand, a very centralized country. The Japanese people find top-down organization suitable, while French people appreciate the participative approach. City planning is thus established at the local level in France, while the government and prefectures take the initiative in Japan, even if the elaboration of a local urban plan (Master plan) is attributed to the local self-governing body since 2000. Master plans have to reflect the opinions of the inhabitants. The public participates in Japan reluctantly, while in France, all the concerned persons can participate in all processes of elaboration of a local urban plan. In Japan, in spite of the centralization of power, certain powers are entrusted to private citizens. Since 1998, the examination of the application of a building permit can be delegated to a private organization. Since 2002, for certain measures, the act of expropriation can be also entrusted to a private citizen. Since 2003, city planning can also be proposed by property owners and private developers. The inconvenience created by the delegation of certain services to a private citizen is the mercantilism of the urban planning project. Several skyscrapers have been built in shopping districts located in city centers and even in residential zones where it is normally prohibited to build houses with more than 3 floors. The construction of a high-rise building often involves a dispute with neighborhoods wanting to preserve the landscape and the environment of their living area. In Paris, high-rise buildings are built on the outskirts of the city. Since 2011, the height limit permitted 50 meters. High-rise buildings increase total living space allowing more residence for students, foreign workers, travelers and underprivileged persons. Paris thus encourages the construction of local authority housing. In Tokyo, on the other hand, no new local authority housing has been built since 1999 on the pretext of a decrease in the population. In Tokyo and Kawasaki (a neighboring city to Tokyo), new housing has not been able to sell because of the economic crisis and the decrease in the younger population (20-30 years old). Without city planning for the inhabitants, the skyscrapers built everywhere spoil the landscape. Unfortunately, in Japan, the courts rarely protect the interests of the inhabitants. There are no administrative courts which are competent for any dispute with the administration. In Japan, a civil suit is filed. Judges often support the public authority. A way of appeal for the temporary suspension was created in 2004 with the aim of widening the protection of private interests. Judges can now investigate if the damage is not too grave to repair. They consider if the importance of the damage produced by the administrative decision is great enough to overtake the right of discretion or abuse of the administrative power. Nevertheless, in most cases, the administration wins at trial. Not only do the inhabitants usually lose their trial, but also many trials are simply refused by the court because of a lack of interest to act. As a consequence, several urban planning projects in the region in Tokyo region de not take into consideration the interest of the inhabitants.