Citizens’ Juries and Spatial Planning – A Formula for Change?
The paper “Citizens’ Juries and Spatial Planning” by Edmond Grace SJ explores the potential for citizens’ juries to play a pivotal role in implementing Ireland’s National Planning Framework (NPF). The NPF aims to shape Ireland’s growth and development up to 2040, emphasising balanced development across regions and addressing urban sprawl by promoting development within existing urban footprints.
There are inherent tensions and conflicts in ambitious projects. The report suggests that a collective ‘buy-in’ is crucial and proposes the establishment of consultative forums, aligning with the global trend towards representative deliberative processes.
Citizens’ juries are particularly relevant to spatial planning due to their ability to reflect a microcosm of society. These juries, composed of randomly selected citizens representing diverse demographics, provide a platform for balanced and inclusive decision-making. The paper compares citizens’ juries to court juries, emphasising their role in addressing major controversies and their potential to garner public trust and respect, which traditional political processes may lack.
The paper advocates for the use of citizens’ juries at both national and regional levels to facilitate the implementation of the National Planning Framework. At the national level, a jury could help launch and promote the 2040 NPF by deliberating on key principles of ‘place-centred’ planning, which include quality of place, local environment, cultural heritage, connectedness to services, and coherent development oversight. Such deliberation would not only serve as a public communication tool but also generate recommendations that could drive public understanding and acceptance.
At the regional level, citizens’ juries could address the interconnected development needs of urban centres and their surrounding areas, ensuring that regional councils oversee integrated development in a manner that wins public trust. The juries’ recommendations would help manage the complex reallocation of land use, especially regarding housing, which has historically been a contentious issue in Ireland due to past planning failures. As decisions about land use are the source of contentious protest and unrest in a number of locations around Ireland, the timeliness of these proposals cannot be overstated.
The paper underscores that citizens’ involvement in planning processes could restore public confidence in government, a critical factor in successfully navigating the environmental and infrastructural challenges posed by the NPF. The involvement of citizens in planning processes through citizens’ juries is not just a democratic ideal; it is a pragmatic solution to restoring public confidence in government decision-making, charting a path towards communal flourishing. By leveraging the insights and legitimacy that come from representative deliberative processes, Ireland can address the pressing environmental and infrastructural challenges head-on. This approach aligns with international best practices and offers a clear path to more inclusive, transparent, and effective spatial planning. Embracing citizens’ juries can transform public engagement from a bureaucratic formality into a dynamic force for sustainable development, securing broad-based support and fostering a shared vision for Ireland’s future
