Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs 2021, Volume 5, Number 2, pages 197– 208

Community Participation in Decision Making Processes in Urban Planning: The Case of M.A. Laura Jankauskaitė-Jurevičienė , Dr. Aušra Mlinkauskienė

a and b Kaunas University of Technology, Civil engineering and architecture faculty, Kaunas, E mail 1: [email protected], Email 2: [email protected]

ARTICLE INFO:

Article History: Received 9 July 2020 ABSTRACT Accepted 29 August 2020 Participation in decision-making processes foreshadows enabling citizens, Available online 18 September communities, non-governmental organizations and other interested parties to 2020 influence the formulation of policies and laws affecting them. The purpose of

Keywords: this study is not only to review Lithuanian legal documents but also to analyse Community; recent processes in Kaunas city planning. Kaunas city is undergoing various Urban planning; urban processes, which do not always meet the needs of the community. This Spatial planning; study presents an analysis of the forms of community involvement in the urban Decision-making processes. planning processes and survey data on the effectiveness of community involvement. The methodology requires using a sociological survey with representatives of the city community and a comparative analysis between legal obligations and actual urbanization process.

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY URBAN AFFAIRS (2021), 5(2), 197-208. https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2021.v5n2-3 www.ijcua.com Copyright © 2020 Laura Jankauskaitė-Jurevičienė, Aušra Mlinkauskienė. This article is published with open access at www.ijcua.com

1 . Introduction Public participation has become an important theorists and practitioners actively advocate topic of governance in the 20ttcenturyArnstein public participation in spatial planning. in 1969 described public participation as Accordingly, Marcus Lane observed that follows: “The idea of citizen participation is a government has been replaced by little like eating spinach: no one is against it in governance (Marcus, 2005). Activity, due to principle because it is good for you”. In her public participation, is driven by theoretical article, the author describes the influence of and practical reasons. In practice, public society in government decision-making as a ladder, where at the bottom of the ladder are *Corresponding Author: Manipulation (first step) and Therapy (second Kaunas University of technology, Civil engineering and step), at the topmost - (seventh step) are architecture faculty, Kaunas, Lithuania Delegated Power and (eighth step) Citizen Email address: [email protected] Control (Arnstein, 1969). Today, planning

How to cite this article: Jankauskaitė-Jurevičienė, L., & Mlinkauskienė, A. (2021). Community Participation in Decision Making Processes in Urban Planning: The Case of Kaunas. Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 5(2), 197-208. https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2021.v5n2-3 JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY URBAN AFFAIRS, 5(2), 197-208/ 2021

participation is the key of the democratic Historical analysis of public participation in process. This makes government institutions spatial planning was performed to find out the accountable to the society, enables it to development of involvement in decision- incorporate non-professional knowledge into making, historical stages, implemented reforms decision-making, improves public policy and their impact. The analysis of the most support and improves planning outcomes. important documents describing the public Participation in itself is valuable as a political participation in the territorial planning goal, as it increases social capital and gives processes was performed to find out the ways, citizens more opportunities when they want a means and emerging problems of public stronger voice in decision-making. involvement in the territorial planning Lithuanian researchers examine the issue of processes in Lithuania. public participation both on a theoretical Non-random convenient selection, voluntary (legal basis) and on an empirical basis sampling was used for the sociological survey. (Bardauskienė, 2007; Jakaitis, 2005; Cirtautas, Data were collected using social networks vis- 2011). However, the activity of society in a-vis: i). Facebook, by submitting a survey on political life and decision-making is more often multiple community accounts and sharing the examined (Merkys, 2020). In the field of urban profile through personal accounts. This method planning, the attitude of the population in the of data collection was used purposefully to find formation of urban architecture, the activity of out who and the extent of those active in social the society in the consideration of urban plans, networks and how much they are interested in and the causality of the passivity of the society territorial planning problems. Before the survey, are most often examined. Examining the it was hypothesized that Kaunas city residents articles of foreign authors on sociological were very little interested in participating in the research related to public participation, it is spatial planning processes. noticeable that the connections with certain The following sociodemographic variables social aspects are usually examined. Most were examined in the study: Gender, Age, authors have studied community participation Education, Occupation, Community activities through social and demographic factors and and Place of residence. Analysis in this study is less analysis of the impact of social and quantitative and Quantitative analysis and IBM physical variables on a given problem (Bottini, SPSS was used for the analysis. The level of 2018). statistical significance was defined as p <0.05. This article discusses short historical development and the main spatial planning 3. Historical and document analysis of public documents related to public participation in participation in spatial planning spatial planning processes in Lithuania, and the 3.1. Historical analysis of public participation opportunities for residents to express their views in spatial planning in Lithuania and make suggestions on the projects. A pilot Changes in the territory of Lithuania are closely sociological survey was conducted using related to the political, economical, social and community social networks to find out how other factors. These factors have a direct active and involved the population is in Kaunas impact on the spatial structure of the city spatial planning processes. The survey aim landscape. Lithuania has undergone many was also to understand the activity of the social land reforms over the centuries, but land network, its main audience and the rational for reforms in the last few centuries are of this type of audience. particular importance. According to the Wallachian reform (16th century), the land of 2. Materials and Methods all manors was declared as the complete A pilot study was conducted to analyze public property of the Grand Duke and was participation in spatial planning by literature combined into one area measured into the analysis and spatial planning documents, Wallachians (about 21.38 ha). The villages were raising a hypothesis, conducting the research organized and distributed, a three-field system and drawing conclusions. An analysis of the was established. As part of the land reform, literature and documents is provided in towns and church villages were established, chapters 3.1 and 3.2. The results of the study are manor houses, street-planned and scrappy presented in chapter 4 and the conclusions villages, residential areas were also connected and suggestions in chapter 5.

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with the road network (Jankauskaitė- development of activities in Lithuania territory Jurevičienė, 2016). (Law on Spatial Planning of the Republic of From the middle of the 19th century until the Lithuania, 1995, 2019). Thus, spatial planning is middle of the 20th Lithuania territory was a complex process that combines the interests managed and used as an individual farming of the groups interested in spatial system. At the time of these reforms, public development, the needs of society and the participation in land management was not protection of the environment. possible, because land management was Major changes in the regulation of spatial sorely within the jurisdiction of the nobility. planning took place in 2014 and are valid until The annexation of Lithuania in the 1940s by the now. The new regulation aims at simplifying, Soviet Union began the destruction of accelerating and improving the spatial traditional, cultural and spiritual values and the planning process. With the creation of the new creation of new political-social structures - spatial planning system, new levels of this collective farms. During the Soviet land reform, planning were established, the principle of private land was nationalized, after which parcel planning was abandoned and the manors and small individual farms disappeared projects of land holdings were removed from (Jankauskaitė-Jurevičienė, 2016). Thus, the the system of spatial planning documents. period from the 1940s until 1991 is the collective Therefore, it is very important to identify the farm period (Jankauskaitė-Jurevičienė, 2016). existing problems in the context of spatial Spatial planning activities between 1950-1965 planning, to solve them and not to repeat in Lithuania involved the planning of individual them in the future (Valstybinio Audito objects in a territory and later the planning of Ataskaita, 2019). In 2020, by the principles of administrative district schemes and settlements spatial planning currently in force, a new state and industrial objects which were regulated by master plan should be drawn up, which should centralized state administration bodies. It was determine the directions and priorities of only after the 1970s when the complexional spatial development. Following this strategic natural protection scheme and other spatial document, efforts will be made to coordinate planning documents were prepared that the various activities in the country: agriculture, management of the territory of Lithuania can tourism, business, cultural heritage protection be called complex and linked to the and infrastructure. To prevent this document management of the whole country (Gurskienė, from becoming formal, it is necessary to ensure 2008). However, public participation was not its proper implementation, especially in the possible in territory planning because of the field of public participation. policies of the Soviet Union. After the Restoration of the Republic of 3.2 Documents defining public rights Lithuania which was March, the rights and The Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania obligations of the state and municipal enshrines the aspiration of the nation to create institutions were established on December 12, an open, just and harmonious civil society. 1995, by the Law of Territory planning. This law Since the right of any society is to have their also established the rights and obligations of convictions and to freely express them as natural and legal persons in the planning guaranteed by the Constitution, this same is processes. The objectives defined in the Law enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of on Spatial Planning of the Republic of Lithuania Lithuania in 1992. It is also noticeable that the are: i) to balance the development of the Lithuania municipal institutions are remote from territory; ii) to create a healthy environment the majority of the society and often the and equal living conditions; iii) to formulate decisions they make do not meet the needs territorial development policy; iv) to preserve, and interests of the society even if their rationalize the use and restore natural participation were involved in the preparation resources, natural and cultural heritage values, of territorial planning documents as defined by and maintain or restore ecological balance; v) the different laws: Law of the Republic of encourage investment for socio-economic Lithuania on Territorial Planning (Seimas, 2004), development; vi) harmonize the interests of the Regulations on public information, consultation public, non-governmental and governmental and participation in spatial planning decisions organizations regarding the conditions for the (Regulations on public information,1996). use of the territory and land plots and the Convention on Access to Information, Public

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Participation in Decision-making and Access to Territorial planning audit control report (2019), Justice in Environmental Matters adopted on which aim to assess whether the system is in Aarhus Convention (Ekonomikos komisijos place to ensure an effective spatial planning Konvencija, 2001). Certain planning process, provides facts about public documents for urban problems and their participation in spatial planning. According to management of urban, social and economic the data from the restoration of Independence development are widespread in European of the Republic of Lithuania in 2019, 73400 countries (area-based initiatives, territorial planning documents were registered neighbourhood strategies, urban in the spatial planning documents development programmes). These documents (approximately 2400 documents are registered are usually advanced examples of harmonious annually) (Figure 1). This report showed that cooperation between local or 12% of spatial planning documents, prepared national/regional authorities and local people in Territorial planning documents preparation (Cirtautas, 2011). and territorial planning process state To ensure public participation in the supervision information system (TPDRIS) of the implementation processes of spatial planning Republic of Lithuania, did not properly pass the in Lithuania, there is a legal obligation to make final stage publicity procedures (State public all spatial planning documents under Territorial Planning and Construction preparation. The public shall be given access Inspectorate,2020). It is also noted that over to get acquainted with the document under 50% of project publicity procedures took place preparation stage, submit proposals and after the approval of the spatial planning comments. documents (Valstybinio Audito Ataskaita, 2019).

Figure 1. Classification of Territorial Planning Documents.

Several amendments were made regarding planning and construction of territories, open the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on the way for investments and to reduce the Territorial Planning, which came into force in procedural burden on business. The new 2014 before it was adopted. The amendments version of the law was drafted under intense were based on the necessity to speed up the business pressure from public authorities. This

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social group welcomed the changed detailed plan decisions shall be informed by regulation in a very positive way. The question, registered mail. To sum up, the concept of a therefore, arises whether the introduction of "marginal norm" under which the public can such business-friendly legal regulation has left expect to defend an extremely narrow range the safeguards in place to ensure that the of interests, defined by specific provisions, and interests of other segments of society are not thus unregulated by law, even though existing prejudiced during spatial planning and the interests of the principle of sustainable (Lastauskienė & Bakšienė , 2015). development remain outside the remit of legal Following the adoption of the new version of protection (Lastauskienė & Bakšienė, 2015). the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Significant restrictions on public participation in Territorial Planning, many changes have been the area are also reinforced by another made to the public's ability to participate in innovation – distinction between projects of spatial planning. The analysis of Articles 33, 34, national importance. Although the public is 35 of this law and the subordinate legal acts involved in these planning processes in some show that in the sphere of public information form, the status of such object is granted by and participation in spatial planning, the terms government resolution without informing the of public information and submission of public or their representatives. The new legal proposals were halved (presumably to speed regulation created a situation in which the processes), and only the master drawing, the municipalities were left responsible for the ad serving in local newspapers was abolished implementation of an independent function - and the information moved to the webspace spatial planning, limiting the possibility for them (i.e. made available only for targeted search). not to approve spatial planning solutions, Besides, only registered landowners and land which creates preconditions for questioning users whose access rights are restricted by the the constitutionality of such regulation (Figure special land use conditions set out in the 2).

Figure 2. The main institutions involved in the formulation and implementation of spatial planning policy.

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According to Cirtautas, society is involved in planning document, except for territories urban planning processes in the following necessary for national defence purposes ways: i) only by informing it (lowest level), ii) in (Regulations on public information,1996). For consultation with it, and iii) allowing its these regulations, the following procedures members to participate directly in decision- shall be made public for the preparation of making (highest level). An analysis of the legal spatial planning documents: provision of acts regulating the territorial planning of the information to the public on the Republic of Lithuania shows that only the first commencement of spatial planning and two possibilities of public involvement are planning objectives, planning work program; mentioned in them (Cirtautas, 2011). getting acquainted with prepared territorial The regulations for information, consultation planning documents; consultation of and participation in spatial planning establish competent interested organizations or the general and simplified procedures for the public concerned; submission and publication of spatial planning documents, examination of proposals; public discussion of taking into account the type and level of the the spatial planning document (Figure 3). spatial planning document. The regulations are binding on state and municipal institutions and bodies, legal and natural persons involved in the process of preparation of the spatial

Figure 3. Spatial planning documents publicity procedures.

The Aarhus Convention: links environmental 4. Community engagement in decision- rights with human rights; emphasizes the making processes in Kaunas urban planning responsibilities of all of us to future generations; Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania in states that sustainability is only possible with the the central part of the country, at the involvement of all stakeholders; states that confluence of rivers Nemunas and Neris. environmental protection is the government Kaunas is an important centre for industry, responsibility; focuses on democratic transport, science and culture. The population communication between the public and of Kaunas exceeds 286 thousand (Kaunas, governmental institutions. Each country that 2019). Currently, many construction projects of has ratified the Convention shall guarantee the various purposes are being carried out in rights of access to information, public Kaunas. According to the data of 2017, participation in decision-making, and access tangible investments by economic activities for to justice in environmental matters (Ekonomikos real estate operations exceeded 20% (Kaunas, komisijos Konvencija, 2001). 2018). Public participation in spatial planning can take many forms and for different reasons.

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Participation strategies and means of 11 elderships - , , , participation also vary and are highly , Gričiupis, Panemunė, , dependent on who organizes the participation Šančiai, Šilainiai, Vilijampolė, Žaliakalnis) and and for what purposes. Public participation 12% - the inhabitants of Aleksotas. About 22 can take the form of constructive cooperation thousand people live in Šančiai eldership. It with planners and local authorities to improve accounts for ~ 6.9% (Šančių, 2016) of the total spatial planning projects, or it can be a population of Kaunas city, while Aleksotas contradiction in terms of simply rejecting all population is 20 thousand, which is 6.4% planning proposals from planners and local (Aleksoto, 2019) of Kaunas city population. authorities. Ideally, public participation should None of the respondents was from the Center, lead to results that are in the best interests of as Petrašiūnai or Vilijampolė elderships, and the many participants in the planning process as number of respondents from other elders did possible, not just one stakeholder group not exceed 5%. Such activity of residents of one (European MSP Platform, 2014). To find out the eldership in answering the questionnaire may involvement of the public in the decision- be based on 2019 spring disputes with Kaunas making of spatial planning documents, a Municipality regarding the planned new street survey involving 44 respondents was carried in the recreational territory along the Nemunas out. The questionnaire was distributed to River. The residents of this eldership actively Kaunas communities using social networks. The participated in discussions with the survey consists of few main research constructs: representatives of the municipality to seek the clarification of personal attitudes to amendments, which were rejected by the participation in spatial planning processes and municipality, in the general plan of Kaunas city. attitudes towards Kaunas city residents' To the question "How active are you personally participation and approach to municipal in expressing your opinion or making action in the process of adopting spatial suggestions to the municipal authorities in the planning documents. Of the 44 respondents, preparation of spatial planning documents?" the distribution in the age groups 30-40, 41-50, 39% of the respondent’s stated that they are 51-60 was almost even, respectively: 25, 30 and neither passive nor active. However, even 27%. Interestingly, that 18-29-year-old persons, more than a third of respondents said they are which according to Lithuanian law correspond active (27%) and very active (9%). In finding out to young adults, indicates absence between the relationship between gender and activity the respondents; respondents, aged 61 and in the community, it was observed that the over, were 20%. The majority of respondents percentage of responses between the were women (73%). It is noteworthy, that by different genders by activity was very similar: education about 88% of respondents are from 50% of the male gender asserted they were higher education – 68% of respondents are inactive and 50% opined that they were university graduates and 20% are college active. Accordingly, the female gender rated graduates. By occupation, 40% of respondents their activity as follows: 53.1% inactive and are specialists and 16% - public servants. 3 46.9% - active. Respondents had to rate their respondents are the chairpersons of the activity level on a 5-point Likert scale. The result communities (community - residents of a obtained by calculating the average personal municipal residence connected with the activity assessment and comparing it between common needs and interests of the genders using the T-test showed that there neighbourhood living, usually with the status of is a very small difference between the groups a public body), 2 respondents are sub- in the assessment of their activity (average for eldership leaders (elected representatives of male – 3, 0833, and for female – 3, 1250). To the the community or part of the community with question, "Do you have enough information statutory rights and duties) and 16 respondents about the spatial planning decisions made in (36%) identified themselves as active members the municipality?” as much as 84% replied that of the community. The majority of the the information is too limited. Moreover, in respondents (64%) consisted of residents of sourcing information on spatial documents, the Šančiai eldership (the smallest current question "From what sources do you learn administrative-territorial unit in Lithuania, about the projects or decisions being introduced by the Law on Local Self- considered in the municipality?" was Government of 7 July 1994. Kaunas consists of considered. Respondents were able to select

M.A. Laura Jankauskaitė-Jurevičienė & Dr. Aušra Mlinkauskienė 203 JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY URBAN AFFAIRS, 5(2), 197-208/ 2021 several answer variations, but the vast majority these problems with decision-making bodies, (86%) noted that social networks (eg. but with friends and acquaintances (89%). Facebook) are the most popular source of From the graph below (Figure 4), it can be information. Respondents also answered that seen that respondents use social networks they search for information on spatial more often in communicating with municipal planning objects on the municipal website representatives on spatial planning (32%) and ask active community members documents than participating in project (50%). Only 5% of the respondents ask the presentation or interviewing authorities. municipality about the issues of spatial Furthermore, considering that 46% planning they are concerned with and none respondents stated that they did not speak of the respondents replied that they received with municipal representatives or submit information about it from the eldership. It was requests/complaints to the municipality noticed from the survey that Kaunas city regarding territory planning documents, it can residents are equally concerned with personal be argued that most respondents only express residential and urban spatial planning their views in an informal environment that problems, but most often, they do not discuss does not influence spatial planning decisions.

Participation in project presentation

Participation in the extended elders' assembly

Expression of opinion on social networks…

Expression of opinion on the municipal…

Notifications of violations, deficiencies,…

Petitions % Complaints and requests to the municipal…

Participation in the activities of NGOs

Participation in meetings of municipal…

Attendance at municipal council meetings

Interview with authorities

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Figure 4. Communication techniques with the municipality used over the last 12 months.

The majority of respondents believe that their knowledge - 54% and 66% respondents Kaunas residents are active in seeking to think that most citizens lack information on express their opinion or submit proposals for spatial planning processes. Some respondents spatial planning documents to municipal also chose answers that indicate a lack of representatives (52%), however, it is not personal interest – 36% have no time for that, possible to say that the majority of Kaunas city or 18% considers that it is uninteresting to the residents think so, as the majority of population. Only 5% of respondents believe respondents are residents in one eldership. that citizens do not participate in public Probing into respondents' opinion on the decision-making because they trust the reason’s citizens do not participate in public decisions of council members. Figure 5 below decision-making, it was noticed that sshow respondents' views on the involvement disillusionment with self-government is of citizens in decisions on spatial planning prevalent, as participation is not expected to documents. change anything (75%), they also do not trust

M.A. Laura Jankauskaitė-Jurevičienė & Dr. Aušra Mlinkauskienė 204 JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY URBAN AFFAIRS, 5(2), 197-208/ 2021

Figure 5. Respondents 'opinion about the citizens' participation in territorial planning document solutions (Survey data).

The statements were formulated according to give advice and take greater account of two research constructs: trust in the public needs and wishes before making municipality and law and the respondents' decisions. confidence in their knowledge. Respondents The majority of the respondents believe that consider that the municipality is not interested there is an intense need (84%) or need (9%) for in cooperation with the population and the cooperation between the municipality and information provided by the municipality is not citizens in making decisions on spatial planning clear and easy to understand. Nevertheless, documents. even if the municipality does not respond to After conducting a statistical survey on the opinion of the citizens, according to the whether there are relationships between the respondents, citizens have sufficient respondents of different education and the information on the opportunities to evaluation of the actions of the municipality it participate in decision-making and they trust was observed that education is not significantly in municipality decisions. From the responses related to respondent's attitude to work in the regarding self-confidence, it is observed that municipality at 95% significant level. respondents, though in doubt, agree that they To examine the relationship between gender have sufficient competence and skills to and attitudes towards the average evaluation participate in decision-making. Indeed, more of municipal actions and the average than half of the respondents believe that evaluation of citizens' abilities, a T-test was also municipality should not only educate the performed. The group statistics show that there public about ways and opportunities to is a very small difference between the average participate in public decision-making, but also of the groups in the evaluation of municipal

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actions and the average value of citizens' average assessment of their activity (0.04 abilities evaluated. The average assessment of points). After performing a statistical study and the municipality is 2.03 for male gender and 1.9 testing the formulated hypotheses at 95% for the female gender and the average significant level, it can be stated that the assessment of citizens' abilities is almost equal attitudes of respondents with different to 2.5 (ale) and 2.54 (female) respectively. education to municipality commitments is statically not significant. Nonetheless, 5. Discussion and conclusions conducted data showed that more educated The influence of society on government and personally experienced individuals decision-making has been discussed since the participated in the online survey. From the 20th century. Today, various forms of survey, it was also noticed that the governance are united by the need to directly respondents are equally concerned with the and centrally involve citizens, non- urban and personal spatial planning problems governmental organizations and social of the residential area, but most often they movements in policy-making and discuss these problems with their friends and implementation. Lithuanian researchers often acquaintances and use the social networks simply examine the activity of society in for spatial planning documents than political life and decision-making. In the field of participation in project presentations or urban planning, the attitude of the population interviews with authorities. The analysis on the in the formation of urban architecture, the relationship between gender and attitudes to activity of the society in the consideration of the averages of the evaluation of municipal urban plans and the causality of the passivity actions and the evaluation of citizens 'abilities of the society are most often examined. The revealed that there is a very small difference main spatial planning documents of Lithuania between the average of groups (men, were adopted after the restoration of women) in the evaluation. Overall, response independence and especially from 1992. to the hypothesis that that Kaunas city Spatial planning documents have changed resident is not very interested in territorial several times in Lithuania for 30 years. Major planning processes becomes imperative. To changes in spatial planning took place in 2014 this, this study posits that owing to the non- and are still valid. This update was intended to random convenient selection, voluntary simplify, speed up and improve the spatial sampling and conclusions on the general planning process, the new levels of spatial public cannot be drawn. To obtain more planning and to show that the principle of accurate unambiguous data, the sample of individual site planning has been abandoned. the survey should be expanded and other To ensure public participation in the processes methods of sample selection should be used. of implementation of spatial planning in Because of the changes in the legal regulation Lithuania, institutions of various levels are (such that the construction is in most cases legally obliged to make public all spatial possible without a detailed plan, establishing planning documents being prepared. The an exhaustive list of cases in which the public main players in this process are the Ministry of interest is protected, limiting the creativity of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania and spatial planning by linking it exclusively to the municipalities of cities and districts, which public administration procedures, and have to ensure public access to the spatial reduced public access to procedures amongst planning documents in the initial stage and to others), the needs of society in the processes of make suggestions and comments in the later spatial planning may not be heard at all. Such planning stages. trends, according to the respondents in the The sample selected for the analysis was 44 survey are not in line with the modern concept respondents. Respondents in the survey are of human rights and Lithuania's international made up of the female gender and middle- obligations under the Aarhus Convention. This aged respondents with university or college study, therefore, asserts that this situation is education, and by occupation are a specialist unfavourable to the protection of the interests or public servants. To elucidate the relationship of society as a whole and will undoubtedly between gender and activity in the create new challenges for the courts which community, it is observed that there is a very should play a more active and creative role in small difference between the groups in the assessing whether spatial planning solutions

M.A. Laura Jankauskaitė-Jurevičienė & Dr. Aušra Mlinkauskienė 206 JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY URBAN AFFAIRS, 5(2), 197-208/ 2021 comply with the principle of sustainable Spatial/Regional Planning (CEMAT), 17 June development. 2014, Nafplion.

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How to cite this article: Jankauskaitė-Jurevičienė , L., & Mlinkauskienė, A . (2021). Community Participation in Decision Making Processes in Urban Planning: The Case of Kaunas. Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 5(2), 197-208. https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2021.v5n2-3

M.A. Laura Jankauskaitė-Jurevičienė & Dr. Aušra Mlinkauskienė 208