For decades, planning scholars have emphasised the need to understand spatial planning not only as an enterprise driven by institutional decision-makers and professionals but also as a field in which civil society plays a constitutive role (Friedmann & Douglass, 1998). Within this perspective, the relationship between civil society and institutions has been analysed through a wide range of interpretive frameworks, often situated along a spectrum from sharp conflict to peaceful collaboration.
This call for papers seeks contributions that advance the debate on the significance of civil society–institution relationships in planning, with a specific focus on context. We aim to deepen scientific understanding of how individual agency and/or organisational, regulatory, and socio-cultural arrangements (within civil society, public authorities, or their partnerships) enable:
- individuals, groups, or communities in difficulty to recognise the collective dimension of their particular struggles, promoting initiatives and/or influencing public decisions and spatial dynamics;
- institutional actors to successfully valorise existing institutional frameworks, or design new ones, to effectively improve quality of life.
We particularly welcome contributions that:
- embrace a genuinely transdisciplinary perspective;
- build on both empirical/practical knowledge and conceptual/theoretical reasoning;
- develop interpretive and operational tools to assess the role of both civil society and public institutions in spatial planning, supporting the transformative outcomes they can generate by promoting broader representation and inclusion.
DEADLINE January 15, 2026.
