Community participation in urban planning process in Saudi Arabia : an empirical assessment

This paper examines factors affecting community participation in the urban planning process in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A quantitative method employing a questionnaire style survey was used to test the research hypotheses, with a qualitative method used to obtain a better understanding of the quantitative findings. Findings reveal that the level of community participation in the urban planning process is low. Factors contributing to lack of participation are the unwillingness of individuals to participate, as well as the inability of social media platforms used by urban authorities to effectively interact with the local community. Therefore, this study recommends the establishment of a unified national strategy for social media platforms used by urban institutions, which will stimulate the use of government instruments such as dialogue and incentives, thereby enhancing social networks and the effectiveness of organizers. These activities will also ensure that all stakeholders who are interested in the process will be invited to participate, thus improving the overall level of community participation.