The relational aspect of co-research on inhabitant participation in urban planning and development

Inhabitant participation in urban planning and development praxis requires collaborative relations to be forged between municipal officials and inhabitants. This article explores three ongoing, interrelated co-research processes on participation in urban planning and development in Stavanger, Norway, involving inhabitants, planners, and academic researchers. The approach to co-research is inspired by participatory action research and anti-oppressive research. Since the nurturing of relationships plays a key role in this kind of research, analytical attention is directed at the relational aspect of the processes under study. Findings shed light on internal relations among co-researchers, relations between different forms of knowledge, external relations with the wider community, and external relations with more powerful actors and key decision-makers. Based on these findings, we argue for a shift from research design to research preparation, while providing navigational tools to differentiate between co-research processes. We also reaffirm the importance of committing to a relational epistemology.