Public Participation in Spatial Planning – Evaluation of the Principle
Public participation is an essential element of any spatial planning procedure. There is no doubt that it is one of the forms of the exercise of the right to protect legal entities’ interests. Moreover, public participation in spatial planning guarantees the increase of the effectiveness of methods used by the public sector representatives to ensure a rational organization of territory and efficient use of land. Last but not least, accessibility of information about spatial proposals helps to build trust between members of local communities and spatial planning decision makers. Contrary to these theoretical assumptions, in certain cases, turning the principle of public participation in the spatial planning into legal practice causes many difficulties. One of the main problems is the fact that municipal and regional authorities fail to properly carry out public deliberations and consultations. For that reason, it can be concluded that public participation in spatial planning cannot ensure fair and adequate representation of citizens’ concerns and opinions.