Title: Citizen participation for integrated assessment: new pathways in complex systems

Authors: Joe Ravetz

Addresses: Department of Planning & Landscape, Manchester University, Oxford Rd, Manchester M13 9PL, UK

Abstract: Citizen or community participation is a guiding principle for environmental decision-making, but in practice it is often compromised and contradictory. Two themes in participation can be defined. One is in the ||product|| or outcome of decision-making, and aims for more effective and appropriate evaluations and decisions. The other is participation in the ||process||, where devolved decision-making itself can serve wider social and economic goals. Although both strands are crucial for the practice of ||integrated assessment|| in environmental governance, a clearer view is needed of the scope and limits of such participation. This paper explores such scope and limits by applying a conceptual ||integrated assessment|| framework. This is drawn from a major case study on sustainable development for a city-region in the north of the UK. Such a framework helps to identify the many roles of citizen participation from a complex systems perspective. Selected examples of current practice highlight the problems and opportunities for citizen participation in environmental governance.

Keywords: citizen participation; governance; integrated assessment; sustainable development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.1999.002265

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 1999 Vol.11 No.3, pp.331-350

Published online: 13 Aug 2003 *

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