Civil Society Participation in Urban Development in Syria

What is the relationship between the institutional context and the process of civil society participation? What are the mechanisms of civil society participation used in urban development decision-making in Syria, and what form of civil society participation is most likely to be efficient to deliver sustainable development? Civil Society Participation in Urban Development in Syria critically examines urban planning as a form of governance, considering it a process where decisions are taken on urban land use, analysing the possibilities for wider participation of civil society in this process in order to promote potential sustainable outcomes in Syria during the years 2005 - 2010. The empirical analysis in this book highlights the shortcomings of the international empowering policies, where the fact that structures of power are multi-layered, multi-related and due to change from one context to another is ignored. Enabling civil society participation is a political matter where a proactive approach is needed rather than a normative internationally accepted one developed in isolation from the given political and institutional urban development context.