Process first, tools second: A conceptual framework to embed digital participation in planning processes for citizen empowerment

Digital participation tools hold the promise to empower citizens and local communities to address urban development challenges. However, although many scholars have experimented with digital tools for citizen engagement, their efforts remain largely disconnected from planning practice. To address this disconnection, this paper analyses digital participation in planning from three perspectives: participatory planning, citizen engagement level, and human–computer interaction (HCI). We considered a wide range of digital participation tools, from tools designed for research projects to commercial and open-source tools. Our results show that there are two levels of “power mediation” and their “mediating actors” in digital participatory planning: (1) the digital tool and the HCI designer who creates the tool, and (2) the planning cycle and the planner who defines the participatory process. We furthermore highlight the importance of embedding participation tools in complementarity with each other to empower citizens at different levels. Taking these two insights into account, we developed an integrated framework – the EmpowerCycle – to embed digital participation tools in planning processes for citizen empowerment. The framework addresses the disconnection between digital tools and planning practice, supporting both researchers and practitioners in the design and implementation of digital participation tools in planning practice and decision-making processes. • Embeds digital participation tools in planning processes to meaningfully empower citizens • Multidisciplinary analysis of 14 digital tools from planning, engagement, and HCI perspectives • Reveals two levels of power mediation and mediating actors in digital participatory planning • Presents the EmpowerCycle for the design and implementation of digital participation tools • Calls for understanding the planning process first, before introducing new participation tools