For this research project I used grounded theory methodology and qualitative research methods to examine how and why citizens participated in local community-based planning and land development entitlement processes, and learn about their experiences participating in those processes. I conceptualized the citizens' main concern as preserving the character of the place they consider their community. This research demonstrates that citizens participate in community-based planning and land development entitlement processes out of a concern for preserving the character of their communities. They define the character of their communities in terms of their geographic boundaries, history, traditions, people, lifestyle, and qualitative features including land uses, architecture, terrain, and environmental attributes. "Preserving Place" refers to citizens' efforts to maintain the character of their communities as they know and embrace them. Citizens participate in collaborative community-based planning because they believe the process affords them an opportunity to set public policy that directly impacts their lives and their communities. Likewise, citizens participate in land development decision-making and entitlement processes in an effort to ensure that land use decisions are consistent with their community plan and preserve their community's character. Citizens form networks, such as voluntary community organizations, through which they organize their efforts and mentor each other to learn about complex local government land use processes and how to participate in them effectively. Through their network organizations citizens also marshal resources when necessary to mount formal legal actions in response to land development decisions they perceive as inconsistent with their community plan and their community's character. Citizens who participate in local government land use processes are often pejoratively called "activists" and accused of being "anti-growth" or "NIMBY" (Not-In-My-Back-Yard). However, this research shows the main concern of citizens who participate in the community-based planning and other land use processes is not to oppose growth and development in their communities; but rather to plan for growth and development and ensure they occur in a way that respects and preserves what the citizens know as the character of the places they consider their communities. I collected data from public records of community-based planning workshops and other land use decision-making processes that affected three communities in Hillsborough County, Florida between 1998 and 2011. I analyzed public record archives and interviewed 22 citizens, all of whom had participated in community-based planning or plan review processes and land development entitlement processes. The model that emerged from the data in this research demonstrates how significant the character of a community is to the people who embrace the community and consider it their home, and how their concern for preserving the character of their community motivates people to get involved in land use policies that affect them. The model further demonstrates the capacity of citizens to organize their efforts to defend and preserve their community's character. This research contributes to the literature on citizen participation by providing an explanatory model that demonstrates how and why citizens participate in local government land use processes. This research can also be applied to practice to improve collaborative processes and help local government land use policy makers and land developers understand the motivations behind citizen participation in land use processes, and thus how to approach the resolution of conflicts among citizens, planners, local governments, private landowners and land development interests.

Increased participation in decision-making has been identified as crucial in order to develop sustainable societies. The Water Framework Directive aims to increase water quality in the European Union. However, measures for water management can have a negative effect on cultural values. The Swedish National Heritage Board describes that over 10 000 cultural sites near watercourses are in danger due to intended water restorations. One of these sites is the millpond in Järle, were proposed changes have caused conflicts to arise between stakeholders. Previous research argue that classical top-down planning is not fit to solve these problems, and that we must stop looking for the best solutions and instead create joint ones. By operationalising Innes and Boohers collaborative rationality framework, DIAD, this thesis shed light on how collaboration is utilized to solve complex situations. The results show that the process have not utilized the possibilities for collaboration, and that current policies do not provide incitements for stakeholders to engage in genuine dialogue. Even though consultations are part of the process, stakeholders are involved too little and too late. More research is needed in order to deepen our understanding concerning how institutional settings can become more adaptable, and thus stimulate reciprocity.

Collaborative planning is an often-debated approach in conjunction with attaining more sustainable cities. Many models were theorized to help implement a more collaborative planning process, such as when municipalities employ densification to grow the city sustainably. However, not all planning processes that are collaborative are also rational. Hence, this thesis is interested in comprehending Västerås Municipality’s planning process through performing a case study regarding DP-1858. To that end, this thesis will follow Innes & Booher (2018) Collaborative rationality theory and use its DIAD model as a lens to understand the positions of the stakeholders involved in the DP-1858 case. In the same vein, to probe for how the collaborative planning process regarding DP-1858 resonates with the DIAD model of Collaborative rationality.Nevertheless, the reaction of the Hammarby-residents raises the need for framing to understand if a concept such as insurgent citizenship is sensible to norms. Thus, it is essential to know how insurgent citizenship manifests itself in a Swedish context. The method used to collect primary data was semi-structured interviews with elite respondents. Among other conclusions, this study found enough evidence suggesting that the planning process in conjunction with DP-1858, even though having embedded collaborative mechanisms, has critical shortcomings when contrasted with the collaborative rationality DIAD model. In the same vein, insurgent citizenship can occur even when laws were respected while norms were not.

There is a large body of literature in the planning field on the topic of collaborative processes of decision-making, particularly in the United States and Europe. However, there appears to be less debate on the subject of complementing these ideas with contributions from urban governance. This research aims to contribute to that complementary work. In order to accomplish that, this thesis presents first a theoretical analysis of collaborative rationality and urban governance contributions. This analysis focuses on the articulation of those aspects that can offer a more holistic framework for addressing urban issues in a more inclusive way. Second, it provides a case study that takes place in the City of Rafaela, Argentina. The case study consists of an assessment of the regulatory and institutional framework that affects planning and the exploration of two contentious recent processes. One of them is the ‘Downtown Revitalization’ project and the second one is the ‘Future use of the Old Bus Terminal’. Several interviews with key actors were conducted in order to gather the information, which was combined with public and media documentation available. These two processes help to understand how significant decisions regarding uses and renovation of urban space are made and the opportunities to implement more collaborative processes in planning. The results show that the combination of the aspects highlighted by both bodies of theory can help to better address conflicts that arise regarding urban space, while increasing citizen participation and addressing issues of inequality in the process of decision-making.

The average time for an individual to be located in a refugee situation is 17 years. That people are fleeing for such a long period of their life means that a large part of their human rights can easily be neglected. This study examines the humanitarian organizations MSB’s and UN- HCR's implementation of refugee camps and how they allow refugees to play a part in this process. This essay intends to examine the policy the organizations adhere to, namely the in- ternationally recognized handbooks Handbook of Emergencies and The Sphere Project. Em- pirical material is based on a qualitative interview method where a comparison between poli- cy and practice is investigated. Employees of organizations and experts on refugee camp de- sign, management and urban planning have served as respondents in this study. The city planning theory collaborative rationality is used to examine the empirical data to answer how organizations work with refugee camps, if a dialogue processes occur between organizations and refugees, and what benefits the theory can provide. This is followed by a discussion re- garding the human rights of the refugees and whether these are considered in the implementa- tion of the camp. A question raised in the discussion is whether a clarification of the concept could help the organizations' employees to meet the human rights of the refugees. The aim of this thesis is to create an interdisciplinary understanding across disciplinary boundaries. The idea is that the amalgamation of disciplines can improve the humanitarian organizations’ work and aid refugees living conditions. This study highlights a discrepancy in the relation- ship between policy and practice in relation to the procedure manuals, but also in relation to refugees and the satisfaction of human rights. A majority of the respondents testify a wish that a dialogue should be conducted between the organization and the recipients of humanitar- ian aid but that issues such as time pressure, ignorance and power relations complicates this process. What is needed for an improvement of dialogue processes is that the organizations need to take clearer positions on how the practical implementation should play out which would more easily control their employees to execute their work. States need to review their approach to refugees and to take responsibility for the people who need help. Last but not least, the concept of human rights and Nussbaum's definition of it is offered as a suggestion as to how UNHCR and MSB could simplify their work to accommodate that the refugees are treated within the realms of the human rights legislation.