Participatory urban planning

Cities worldwide face increasing challenges in their pursuit to become just and sustainable social-ecological systems. None will be harder hit than the fastest-growing cities of the developing world, which are set to absorb nearly three billion additional people in the next thirty to forty years. Among the many challenges are sociospatial ones, such as urban sprawl, segregation, and congestion, as well as ecological ones, such as habitat degradation, urban heat island effect, and water pollution. Addressing these challenges in an integrated manner can strengthen the underlying disciplines of urban planning and environmental education, in process and outcome. Urban planning brings a holistic spatial approach to sectoral environmental efforts such as isolated initiatives to improve air quality. Further, when the process engages local residents from underrepresented groups, urban planning can set the stage for exploring solutions before inequitable and unsustainable patterns are locked in. Urban environmental pedagogy can build capacity for engagement in planning processes generally dominated by adults and professionals. Drawing on recent efforts to articulate a global urban sustainability agenda, this chapter describes how integrated, participatory design and urban environmental education can enhance learning, ownership, agency, and long-term sustainability of place.