Engaging with the Multiple Temporalities Inherent in Participatory Planning

Despite growing recognition of time in planning research, few studies explore the role of time in participatory planning contexts. Drawing on critical temporal scholarship, this paper develops an analytical framework, which centers temporal multiplicity, power, and conflicts. It aids planners in identifying, examining, and diagnosing the diverse temporalities–such as rhythms, timings and tempos–that shape participatory planning, to support more equitable and meaningful processes that address temporal concerns and build adaptive capacity. We apply the framework to an empirical illustration, which reveals that temporal differences can both impede collaborations and create opportunities for reflection and mutual learning.