Limits and promises of participatory urban planning: experience from civic advisory boards and urban activists in Tbilisi

Kekenadze, Natia (author)

Despite efforts to decentralize governance and establish civic advisory boards (CABs) as a mandatory participatory mechanism in Tbilisi, CAB members and urban activists remain dissatisfied with governance and urban planning processes. This study employs qualitative methods, including 34 semi-structured interviews, analysis of administrative data, and a review of legislation and planning docu-ments. It examines participatory urban experiences, assessing the effectiveness of CABs and the role of urban movements. The findings reveal challenges in com-munication, low public awareness, and limited influence on decision-making. CAB members and activists report weak engagement with the mayor’s office and a con-sistent disregard for civic input, resulting in ongoing protests that are dismissed by authorities. Strengthening CABs is crucial to ensuring meaningful citizen partici-pation, bridging the gap between the public and policymakers, and addressing the influence of political and economic elites in urban decision-making.

• Language: English
• Keywords: participatory planning, urban governance, civic advisory board, urban movements, Tbilisi, Georgia
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2025
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 63-86
• Numbering: [Št.] 63
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-178826
• UDC: 911.375:711(479.22)
• ISSN on article: 0354-0596
• DOI: 10.4312/RYOY9078
• COBISS.SI-ID: 265014275
• Publication date in RUL: 30.01.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Dela
• Publisher: Oddelek za geografijo Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani, Oddelek za geografijo Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani, Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 0354-0596
• COBISS.SI-ID: 23805442

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Omejitve in obljube participativnega urbanističnega načrtovanja: izkušnje civilnih svetovalnih odborov in mestnih aktivistov v Tbilisiju

Abstract

Kljub prizadevanjem za decentralizacijo upravljanja in vzpostavitev civilnih svetoval-nih odborov (CSO) kot obveznega participativnega mehanizma v Tbilisiju so člani CSO-jev in urbani aktivisti še vedno nezadovoljni s procesi upravljanja in urbanistič-nega načrtovanja. Študija s pomočjo kvalitativnih metod, vključno s 34 polstrukturira-nimi intervjuji, analizo upravnih podatkov ter pregledom zakonodaje in dokumentov o načrtovanju, raziskuje participativne urbane izkušnje, ocenjuje učinkovitost CSO--jev in vlogo urbanih gibanj. Ugotovitve razkrivajo izzive pri komuniciranju, omejeno ozaveščenost javnosti in minimalen vpliv na sprejemanje odločitev. Člani CSO-jev in aktivisti poročajo o šibkem sodelovanju z županovim uradom in neupoštevanju njihovega prispevka, kar vodi v nenehne proteste, ki jih oblasti zavračajo. Krepitev CSO-jev je ključna za zagotavljanje udeležbe državljanov in premostitev vrzeli med javnostjo in oblikovalci politik ter za zmanjšanje vpliva politične in gospodarske elite na sprejemanje odločitev v mestih.

• Keywords: participativno načrtovanje, mestno upravljanje, civilni svetovalni odbori, urbana gibanja, Tbilisi, Gruzija