Towards participatory urban planning: insights from citizens. Results of a public questionnaire on climate change and its local effects in Parma

  • Ilaria De Noia Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, Parma, Italy http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4496-0877
  • Barbara Caselli Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, Parma, Italy http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3236-8681
  • Astrid Kemperman Department of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1312-4913
  • Silvia Rossetti Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, Parma, Italy http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3358-2129
  • Peter van der Waerden Department of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
DOI: https://doi.org/10.6093/1970-9870/10836
Keywords: Urban Planning, Citizens' Perception, Desealing, Climate Change Adaptation, Survey

Abstract

Citizen involvement in urban transition processes has been gaining recognition within the scientific literature and urban transformation initiatives, highlighting the significance of meaningful citizen participation in promoting healthier and more resilient cities. Co-design and co-planning, in both top-down and bottom-up urban transformation processes, allow stakeholders to collaborate in defining the future of cities in a climate change adaptation framework that encompasses interventions such as soil desealing. In this framework, public questionnaires have emerged as valuable instruments to solicit citizens' insights into participatory processes, as an aid to orient urban planning and transformation scenarios towards their needs and vulnerabilities. After tracing the outline of a local bottom-up project (named “Green in Parma”), this contribution will present and discuss the outcomes of a questionnaire that investigated the perception of the citizens of Parma regarding climate change and its local effects. Univariate and bivariate analyses, including Chi-square tests and factor analyses, were conducted on data collected from a sample of 1,352 participants. The findings provided insights linked to the city and to the neighbourhoods, allowing to localise the quantitative data. The results were enriched with qualitative associations with the neighbourhoods socio-environmental characteristics, fostering the envisioning of climate change adaptation strategies. The analyses reveal the potential of questionnaires and citizens’ involvement in shaping urban planning scenarios, acknowledging the citizens’ role as bearers of knowledge and active stakeholders.

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Author Biographies

Ilaria De Noia, Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, Parma, Italy

Building Engineer and Architect, Ilaria De Noia graduated in 2021 from the University of Trento with a thesis focused on Nature-based solutions for territorial (re)development. Since 2022, Ilaria has been pursuing a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering and Architecture at the University of Parma, exploring the role of soil desealing as an urban adaptation strategy. During her visiting semester at Eindhoven University of Technology, she investigated the contribution of citizen involvement in her research framework.

Barbara Caselli, Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, Parma, Italy

Architect, Assistant Professor (non-tenure track) in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Parma, PhD in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Parma. Her current research interests concern the integration of urban planning and active mobility systems with a focus on urban accessibility and open space planning. She also deals with GIS applied to spatial planning and city management.

Astrid Kemperman, Department of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands

Astrid Kemperman is a Professor of Urban Planning & Healthy Living. Her area of expertise focuses on smart urban environments that promote healthy living and well-being. Her research involves integrating advanced ICT solutions in daily activity patterns to address societal challenges such as physical inactivity, social isolation, and loneliness. This integration supports active, healthier, and more liveable communities for residents and visitors.

Silvia Rossetti, Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Parma, Parma, Italy

Environmental Engineer, Associate Professor in Urban Planning at the University of Parma, PhD in Places and times of the city and territory at the University of Brescia (2014). Currently, she coordinates the National research PRIN 'MOVING StEPS - Moving from Street Experiments to Adaptive Planned Solutions'. Her research interests encompass Geographic Information Systems, Urban Regeneration, and Active Mobility.

Peter van der Waerden, Department of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands

Peter van der Waerden studied Transportation at the National Academy of Planning, Transportation and Logistics in Tilburg and Human Geography at Utrecht State University. Since 1986, Peter is a lecturer/researcher at the Urban Planning and Transportation group of Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands. Peter provides education in Transportation Engineering and Geographic Information Systems. Peter’s main research areas concern the design and use of car, cycling, and pedestrian facilities with a focus on the relationship between these facilities and people’s travel decisions.

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Published
2024-08-31
How to Cite
De NoiaI., CaselliB., KempermanA., RossettiS., & van der WaerdenP. (2024). Towards participatory urban planning: insights from citizens. Results of a public questionnaire on climate change and its local effects in Parma. TeMA - Journal of Land Use, Mobility and Environment, 17(2), 193-212. https://doi.org/10.6093/1970-9870/10836
Issue
Vol 17 No 2 (2024): NEW CHALLENGES FOR XXI CENTURY CITIES Global warming, ageing of population, reduction of energy consumption, immigration flows, optimization of land use, technological innovation
Section
Focus

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