PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN SPATIAL PLANNING IN MEXICO: A COMPARATIVE CASE REVIEW OF SUCCESS STORIES AND FAILURES

In the field of spatial planning, traditional ways of creating public policies are being called into question and criticized and new forms of decision-making have resulted, based more on participatory democracy and even on the theory of social innovation. Even though Mexico’s Constitution recognizes the principle of participatory democracy, in practice, the exercise of public participation contemplated in spatial planning policy instruments is a token gesture on the part of the state and still needs to be aligned with the principles of collaborative rationality. This dissertation explores the concept, scope, and evolution of the right to public participation within the field of spatial planning through theory, legal research, and a comparative study of success stories within Mexico and beyond. It analyzes the differences between creating public policies using traditional structures versus participatory and collaborative processes, such as the innovative landscape governance approach.Within the international legal framework, the dissertation examines how the right to public participation and related rights have developed throughout history, focusing particularly on the universal and the inter-American human rights systems. It also analyzes the recognition of the right to a healthy environment, including specific obligations addressing public participation in global environmental treaties, the evolution of regional treaties that center on environmental access rights, and the importance of public participation within policy documents.Turning to Mexico’s legal framework, the dissertation explores the different constitutional provisions and regulations on which spatial planning in Mexico is based. It also explores the country’s main environmental and urban policy instruments and particularly seeks to dismantle the role and scope of public participation in its ecological land-use plans and urban development plans.At the core of the dissertation is a portrait of the role that public participation plays in spatial planning in Mexico, based on the opinions and testimonies of thirty-two interviewees with experience and involvement in spatial planning issues. Building on the interviewees’ findings and conclusions, it includes detailed case studies of spatial planning processes in two very different municipalities in Mexico. The first of these, Cuetzalan Municipality, Puebla, is an example of collaborative planning, coordination, and the successful implementation of spatial planning policies. The second, Valle de Bravo Municipality, is an example of failed spatial planning policies, a lack of coordination around environmental and urban issues, and limited opportunities for collaboration in the creation of public policies.To provide a point of comparison, the dissertation reviews three successful examples of spatial planning in Washington, DC, the Netherlands, and Barcelona as essential references in the area of participatory planning, offering innovative guidelines that could undoubtedly be applied in Mexico and many other countries that are in the process of transitioning toward stronger participatory spatial planning policies.The dissertation closes with some overall conclusions on the core elements that need to be present in any participatory spatial planning process, making direct reference to the current situation in Mexico.