White Paper on Sustainability of Spanish Urban Planning -- 7.1 Favour citizens' capacity building

Documentos > http://habitat.aq.upm.es/lbl/a-lbl.en_38.html

White Paper on Sustainability of Spanish Urban Planning
José Fariña Tojo, José Manuel Naredo (directors)

<<< 7.0 Foster administrative transparency |7.1 Favour citizens' capacity building| 7.2 Integrate participation into planning >>>

7.1 Favour citizens' capacity building

Research support is included under this point in the case of Spain, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, the Madrid Region, the Murcia Region, the Basque Country, Asturias, Cantabria, Catalonia and Rioja. Furthermore, there could be some confusion between this general section and the principle relating to the fostering of education and the raising of environmental awareness in the cases of Aragon, Extremadura, Navarre and Valencia; therefore, these have been analysed together.

7.11. Devise specific educational materials
Some references have been included which specifically mention the devising of specific materials for informing the public regarding urban planning (and other information). Digital educational material, particularly online, is becoming more and more important. It has become essential to adapt to new technologies by devising these educational materials which include video, 3D representations, and all systems that help remove barriers between technical specialists and the general public. They must also be materials that can be published not only by traditional means (booklets, cinema, lectures) but also online.

7.12. Organise courses, workshops and debates on urban planning
This criterion could be closely related with the following one; therefore, both have been analysed together. The understanding of urban planning not as a specific act, but rather as a procedure that is carried out long term and which does not have any beginning or end, but specific points for control, means that citizens need to be educated accordingly. Otherwise, so-called public participation would be just talk. Hence the necessity to develop workshops, courses, debates and talks related to urban planning.

7.13. Foster environmental education and awareness-building
All general references to environmental education and awareness-building on environmental issues have been included under this point. It ought to be made clear that this environmental education and awareness-building cannot be done without consideration of citizens' education on urban planning issues, and that both should be addressed as a whole so that technical experts may gain a clearer understanding of how the city, and the country in which it is situated, function.

7.14. Support the preparation of Agenda 21 programmes
Support for the preparation of agendas 21 should be understood as support for any similar tool that allows the reflection on the city and its sustainability. To date, Agenda 21 programmes, despite their limitations, have allowed citizens to approach issues that otherwise would have not been addressed. This is why a specific means that might not be the most appropriate in certain cases and for certain situations appears as a criterion.

Discussion

It appears that, apart from Catalonia, Rioja and the Basque Country, the other regions have not for the time shown much interest in this topic if we consider the mentions that appear generically and those corresponding to the different indicators that are analysed more specifically. Also, in nearly half the cases the references that are included are quite unspecific, in most cases going no further than declarations of intent.