Development From Citizen Participation to Collaboration Relationship on the Process of Public Facility Construction

Abstract

This study focused on citizen participation and collaboration in the process of construction of public facilities. We tried to clarify the definition of citizen participation and collaboration. To be specific, we analyzed how collaborative efforts occurred from citizen participation as they transpired within the confines of an area where the collaborative relationship is being covered. We arranged this publicly-led participative concept of collaboration as it developed and as it eventually led into such a complementary relationship. In the case study, we found that collaboration occurred where active discussion had been conducted in the early stages of public participation activities.

Incorporation of citizens' opinions into the process of earthquake ruins maintenance: A case study of the Great East Japan earthquake ruins in Miyagi Prefecture

“…According to previous studies, it is desirable for the government, citizens, and experts to have an appropriate organizational structure in place regarding the design of public facilities and the citizens to participate in decision-making processes. 7,8,12 However, during the data compilation in this study, it became apparent that it was difficult to set up such a structure in the midst of emergency disaster recovery efforts. It was found that each municipality chose maintenance methods and policies while seeking out the opinions of its citizens through questionnaires and other means.…”

“…Previous studies have indicated that, in the case of existing public facilities, citizen participation in the maintenance process develops into citizen-municipality collaboration, and building a framework for citizen participation, beginning with the planning stage, leads to sustainable citizen participation management. 7,8 In addition, Miyagi Prefecture has stated that it is necessary to use the earthquake ruins to teach earthquake-related lessons based on the opinions gathered at a conference of experts, and that the government, organizations, and citizens of the prefecture must participate in imparting them to others. 9 In the Tohoku region, where a declining birthrate and an aging population are anticipated in the future, sustainable preservation and the use of earthquake ruins are issues that should be addressed.…”

“…In addition, with reference to the previous studies, the (a) treatment decision stage was added to the (b) basic concept stage, (c) design stage, and (d) operation stage, which are the development stages of public facilities [Note 5]. 7,8,12 As for the codes themselves, the treatment decision stage comprised codes A-D. This revealed the intention to understand preservation or temporary preservation as follows.…”

“…8 These stages were also applied to other previous studies of public facilities' development processes. 7,12 Therefore, the 20 types of labels that were included in "municipality" as subjects were classified into those three stages. Considerable data corresponded to the stage that involved deliberating and deciding whether to preserve or remove the earthquake ruins, which occurred before the abovementioned stages.…”

“…Among the various stages of citizen participation, questionnaires, meetings, and public presentations were classified as part of the consultation phase, and workshops were classified as part of the involvement phase, which is more akin to collaboration. 7 As time passed and the process progressed, the methods of gathering opinions from citizens became more collaborative.…”