Whose public spaces? Citizen participation in urban planning in Santiago, Chile (PLA 66)

This article in Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) 66 describes the process of community engagement in two urban redevelopment projects located in an eastern commune of Santiago, Chile. The first proposal was for a shopping mall, and the second to enclose a public park. In both cases, the community rejected the project proposals, since they were not given any opportunity to participate in the planning process.

The community groups’ ability to organise and to engage other actors made it possible to stop these proposed developments, and hopefully this action will~have an impact on future decision-making processes in the commune.