Public Value of Participation in Urban Development

Project Duration: 01.09.2021 to 31.08.2024

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Citizen participation is a key strategic objective of current urban policy and at the same time an increasingly tense field. Citizens' wishes on the one hand, ecological and technical necessities on the other, the diversity of residents and users, different barriers to accessing participation processes and the challenges of digitalisation are just some of the relevant buzzwords. And although participation is largely viewed positively in research and practice, the findings on concrete effects are scarce.

Ein leerer Präsentationssaal ist abgebildet, im Vordergrund liegen zwei Formulare zum ausfüllen

Research Areas

Digital Innovation, Engineering, and AI
Social Justice, Inclusive and Secure Societies, Governance and Economics
Sustainability and Environment

Research Center

Research Center Building and Design
Research Center Social Work
Research Center Administrative Sciences

Department

Social Sciences
Administration, Economics, Security, Politics

The project therefore analyses the added value of participation in the context of urban transformation processes in relation to the creation of community effects. This involves both the "product", i.e. the quality of decisions, and the process itself, i.e. possible effects in relation to the quality of democracy and inclusion. Both levels can be located in a common theoretical framework through the concept of public value or common good, which has been increasingly discussed in recent years. The research project is being carried out as an interdisciplinary cooperation between the Public Management/Research Center Administrative Sciences and experts from the Research Centers Building and Design and Social Work as well as the Applied Political Science specialist area (Department of Administration, Economics, Security, Politics) at FH Campus Wien.

Specifically, participation processes in Vienna are being researched over a period of three years with the involvement of relevant stakeholders. Each sub-study encompasses several perspectives that reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the researchers involved.

 

Research Goals

  • Conceptual model of the relationship between participation and public value/common good as a basis for greater consideration of the effects of participatory processes in public value models and measurements
  • Recommendations for the design of digital and hybrid participation processes, in particular with regard to the three issues: Accessibility/inclusion and exclusion; sustainability of decisions and process structures; transparency throughout the process from question formulation to implementation
  • Involvement and integration in teaching at the study programs as part of selected courses and by assigning thematically appropriate theses. Joint conception and realisation of an interdisciplinary open course
 

Funding Partners

Logo der M A 23 mit Wappen der Stadt Wien und Wortlaut gefördert von Stadt Wien Wirtschaft Arbeit und Statistik

Stadt Wien MA23 | Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Statistik

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Writing SDG 10 reduced inequalities

SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

Writing SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities

SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

Writing SDG 13 Climate action

SDG 13 Climate Action

Project Lead

Project Team

Publications

(only in German)

Literature Review Public Value und Public Participation
pdf, 458 KB
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  • Dahlvik, J., P. Stojanović, M. Kollegger (forthcoming 2024). "Gemeinwohlfördernde Stadt- und Regionalentwicklung" in Kooperative Stadt- und Regionalentwicklung; M. Heintel, Y. Franz (eds.); 2nd revised edition; Vienna: UTB.
  • Dahlvik, J., P. Stojanović (2022). "Gemeinwohlfördernde Stadt- und Regionalentwicklung" in Kooperative Stadt- und Regionalentwicklung; M. Heintel, Y. Franz (eds.); Vienna: UTB, 75-89.
  • Gaidoschik Sophie, Gorbach Johannes, Mitrenova Elena, Stoik Christoph, Winkler Elisabeth (forthcoming 2025): Climate-neutral urban development versus citizen participation? Inclusion and exclusion of residents and users of public spaces in urban transformation using the example of Vienna. soziales_kapital, online: https: //www.soziales-kapital.at
  • Mitrenova Elena, Dahlvik Julia, Tomaschitz Wolfgang, Gaidoschik Sophie, Gorbach Johannes, Kollegger Martina, Stoik Christoph, Winkler Elisabeth (published 2025): Public value effects of participation in urban development. Citizen participation between legitimisation, inclusion, exclusion and the climate-friendly city. In: dérive, journal for urban research: Vienna

Student work in the research cluster