Participatory planning in the post-pandemic period – towards new stakeholder communication

Abstract

Participatory planning, as a way to reform spatial and urban planning and design during the global pandemic of virus COVID - 19 in 2020 is undergoing a serious transformation, not only in form, appearance, but also in the essential, significant sense. In this regard, the current paradigms of the need for active public participation directly related to spatial and urban planning and decision-making through public workshops, round tables, discussions and debates that require the physical presence of participants are changing. Having that in mind new participatory settings are defined and they are migrating to virtual space. New circumstances raise the question of continuing active participation activities in a (permanently?) changed environment and defining new, hybrid ways of engaging stakeholders in participatory planning activities. Thus, the participatory tools and instruments used in the pre-pandemic are changing significantly, opening new opportunities for the active participation of experts in projects of wider community importance. The paper will consider previous ways of engaging stakeholders in spatial and urban planning processes, as well as opportunities to change the participatory paradigm, which may now include hiring remote experts, where territorial distance is no longer an obstacle to participation. Through examples of different types of engagement in pandemic and post-pandemic conditions, advantages and critiques of new hybrid ways of participation will be given.