A Literature Review on Public Participation in Local Government: Trends and Future Challenges
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65826/IJPIR.1.2.2026.28Keywords:
Public participation, Citizen participation, Local government, Systematic literature, PRISMAAbstract
This study examines the literature on public participation in local government published between 2000 and June 2025, offering insights and guidance for future inquiries. This investigation gathered information from the Scopus and Google Scholar databases. A total of 969 papers were reviewed for metadata analysis, with 160 papers selected for detailed analysis to provide insights. This included a content analysis of the literature, covering barriers, policymaking, local government attitudes, collaboration, concepts and management, various optimization models, and assessments of public participation practices and performance. The main findings of this study, obtained through content analysis, include six distinct categories: conceptual development, policymaking, barriers, local government attitudes, collaboration and responsiveness, and environmental management. A high-participation framework is also identified in the author’s text analysis, including GO-NGO collaboration. This study presents a conceptual model, drivers, trust, public access, transparency, and communication were designed to enhance public participation and identify potential avenues for future research.
References
Abas, A., Arifin, K., Ali, M. A. M., & Khairil, M. (2023). A systematic literature review on public participation in decision-making for local authority planning: A decade of progress and challenges. Environmental Development, 46, 100853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2023.100853
Abdel-Monem, T., Herian, M. N., Hoppe, R., Pytlik-Zillig, L. M., & Tomkins, A. J. (2016). Policymakers’ Perceptions of the Benefits of Citizen-Budgeting Activities. Public Performance & Management Review, 39(4), 835–863. https://doi.org/10.1080/15309576.2015.1137774
Acharya, K. K., & Zafarullah, H. (2024). Whither Demarginalization, Inclusion, and Effectiveness? Challenges of Local Government Planning in Nepal. Millennial Asia, 15(2), 216–235. https://doi.org/10.1177/09763996221107116
Ali, A. (2022). Fragile states, decentralisation and the nature of barriers to citizen participation in local government: A view from Pakistan. SN Social Sciences, 2(2), 11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-021-00308-1
ARNSTEIN, S. (1969). A Ladder of Citizens' Participation. Journal of American Institute of Planners, 35(4), 216–224, https://doi.org/10.1080/01944366908977225.
Azad, A. (2017, June 1). Legal Status of the Rohingya in Bangladesh: Refugee, Stateless or Status Less [Bengali]. Equal Rights Trust. https://www.equalrightstrust.org/resources/legal-status-rohingya-bangladesh-refugee-stateless-or-status-less-bengali
Bolívar, M. P. R. (2018). Creative citizenship: The new wave for collaborative environments in smart cities. Academia Revista Latinoamericana de Administración, 31(1), 277–302. https://doi.org/10.1108/ARLA-04-2017-0133
Bozkuş Kahyaoğlu, S., Abdieva, R., & Baigonushova, D. (2024). Citizen perception and participation in local government in post-Soviet countries: Case of Kyrgyzstan. Journal of Eurasian Studies, 18793665241283476. https://doi.org/10.1177/18793665241283476
Buchy, M., & Hoverman, S. (2000). Understanding public participation in forest planning: A review. Forest Policy and Economics, 1(1), 15–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1389-9341(00)00006-X
Cheng, Y. (Daniel), Brudney, J. L., & Meijs, L. (2023). Exploring the Relationship Between Privatization in Public Service Delivery and Coproduction: Evidence from U.S. Local Governments. The American Review of Public Administration, 53(5–6), 195–208. https://doi.org/10.1177/02750740231155410
Chu, Z., Bian, C., & Yang, J. (2022). How can public participation improve environmental governance in China? A policy simulation approach with multi-player evolutionary game. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 95, 106782. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2022.106782
Churchman, A. (2012, March). Public participation around the world: Introduction to the special theme issue. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/298114241_Public_participation_around_the_world_Introduction_to_the_special_theme_issue
Conradie, P., & Choenni, S. (2014). On the barriers for local government releasing open data. Government Information Quarterly, 31, S10–S17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2014.01.003
Devas, N., & Grant, U. (2003). Local government decision-making—citizen participation and local accountability: Some evidence from Kenya and Uganda. Public Administration and Development, 23(4), 307–316. https://doi.org/10.1002/pad.281
Dietz, T., & Stern, P. C. (2008). Public Participation in Environmental Assessment and Decision Making. National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/12434
Gao, X., Wang, C., Sun, M., & Wang, X. (2024). Research on the driving factors of rural residents' pro-environmental behavior in the background of frequent heat waves. Global Ecology and Conservation, 51, e02893. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e02893
Gqeba, S. (2024). Examining the role of community media in promoting Accountability and good governance in local government: A case study of Chris Hani District Municipality. http://hdl.handle.net/11660/12690
Guo, J., & Bai, J. (2019). The Role of Public Participation in Environmental Governance: Empirical Evidence from China. Sustainability, 11(17), Article 17. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174696
Haklay, M., Jankowski, P., & Zwoliński, Z. (2018). Selected Modern Methods and Tools for Public Participation in Urban Planning – A Review. Quaestiones Geographicae, 37(3), 127–149. https://doi.org/10.2478/quageo-2018-0030
Hufron, Dr., Fikri, S., Satria, I. G. S., & Wibisono, R. B. (2024). THE POWER TO REMOVE: A COMPARATIVE INQUIRY INTO RECALL MECHANISMS IN INDONESIA AND THE PHILIPPINES. International Comparative Jurisprudence, 10(2), 203–220, https://doi.org/10.13165/j.icj.2024.12.003.
Hügel, S., & Davies, A. R. (2020). Public participation, engagement, and climate change adaptation: A review of the research literature. WIREs Climate Change, 11(4), e645. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.645
Irvin, R. A., & Stansbury, J. (2004). Citizen Participation in Decision Making: Is It Worth the Effort? Public Administration Review, 64(1), 55–65. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2004.00346.x
Jones, M., Smith, L., & Harris, P. (2021). Trust and transparency in local government: Bridging the gap in citizen engagement. Local Government Studies Journal, 30(1), 13-27.
Kang, K. E., & Lee, K. (2023). Collaboration and Public Participation for Municipal Growth in Land Economic Development Projects. Economic Development Quarterly, 37(2), 170–182. https://doi.org/10.1177/08912424231159046
Kasymova, J. (2017). Understanding the Challenges and Sustainability of Citizen Engagement in the Budgeting Processes of Developing Countries. Administration & Society, 49(3), 374–393. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399714558713
Kurkela, K., Kork, A.-A., Jäntti, A., & Paananen, H. (2023). Citizen participation as an organisational challenge in local government. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 37(1), 124–140. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-08-2022-0179
Lee, J., Kim, S., & Lee, J. (2022). Public vs. Public: Balancing the Competing Public Values of Participatory Budgeting. Public Administration Quarterly, 46(1), 39–66. https://doi.org/10.37808/paq.46.1.3
Lee, J., Kim, S., & Lee, J. (2023). Mutual efforts for mutual trust: Impacts of citizens’ knowledge and governmental communication channels on trust in participatory budgeting. Journal of Public Affairs, 23(4), e2879. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2879
Li, R. (2019). Public participation and its limits in legislative consultation: A case study on local legislation in China. The Theory and Practice of Legislation, 7(1), 27–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/20508840.2019.1665280
Li, S., Miao, X., Feng, E., Liu, Y., & Tang, Y. (2023). Urban Governmental Environmental Attention Allocation: Evidence from China. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 149(1), 04022055. https://doi.org/10.1061/JUPDDM.UPENG-3984
Martin, A., Gordon, J., Schelhas, J., & Mattox, T. S. (2024). Perceptions of Tree Risks and Benefits in a Historically African American Neighborhood. Sustainability, 16(10), Article 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16103913
Matsumoto, H., Tsuda, S., & Hotta, S. (2025). Public officials’ attitudes towards public participation in policymaking by people with dementia. Dementia (London, England), 14713012251324263. https://doi.org/10.1177/14713012251324263
Michels, A. (2012). Citizen Participation in Local Policy Making: Design and Democracy. International Journal of Public Administration, 35(4), 285–292. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2012.661301
Migchelbrink, K., & and Van de Walle, S. (2022). A systematic review of the literature on determinants of public managers’ attitudes toward public participation. Local Government Studies, 48(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/03003930.2021.1885379
Muthová, N. J., Vitálišová, K., & Lendvorský, M. (2022). Citizens’ Attitudes to Nudges in the Maintenance of Public Spaces and Waste Management. NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy, 15(1), 113–139. https://doi.org/10.2478/nispa-2022-0006
Naidoo, C. (2023). Assessing the Role of Public Participation in Service Delivery: The Case of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 34(4), 132–146. https://doi.org/10.7166/34-4-2874
Pellizzoni, L. (2003). Uncertainty and Participatory Democracy. Environmental Values, 12(2), 195–224. https://doi.org/10.3197/096327103129341298
Peng, Y. (2020, November 6). The Historical Development of Public Participation in Environmental Governance › WeSolve. https://wesolve.app/the-historical-development-of-public-participation-in-environmental-governance/
Quick, K. S., & Bryson, J. (2022). Public participation. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370556632_Public_participation
Rafique, Z., & Khoo, S. L. (2018). Role of community-based organizations (CBOs) in promoting citizen participation: A survey study of local government institutions of Punjab, Pakistan. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 38(3/4), 242–258. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-02-2017-0008
Richardson, B. J., & Razzaque, J. (2005). Public Participation in Environmental Decision-making, doi: 10.13140/RG.2.1.4568.7124.
Sieber, R. (2006). Public Participation Geographic Information Systems: A Literature Review and Framework. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 96(3), 491–507. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8306.2006.00702.x
Sinervo, L.-M., Bartocci, L., Lehtonen, P., & Ebdon, C. (2024). Toward sustainable governance with participatory budgeting. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 36(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBAFM-11-2023-0205
Suhaimi, S. (2021). Challenges of Public Participation: A Qualitative Study. South Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2(5), 100–109. https://doi.org/10.48165/sajssh.2021.2507
Tan, X., & Kyttä, M. (2025). Incentives and Disincentives in Public Participation – A Review of Public Participation in Planning Practices in China. Journal of Planning Literature, 40(1), 32–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/08854122241262748
Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a Methodology for Developing Evidence-Informed Management Knowledge by Means of Systematic Review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207–222. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375
van der Arend, S., & Behagel, J. (2011). What participants do. A practice-based approach to public participation in two policy fields. Critical Policy Studies, 5(2), 169–186. https://doi.org/10.1080/19460171.2011.576529
Wang, Y., Qi, Y., & Chen, G. (2022). Participatory governance and local government responsiveness: Evidence from participation in politics on television in China. Local Government Studies, 48(5), 995–1016. https://doi.org/10.1080/03003930.2021.2009805
Webster, J., & Watson, R. T. (2002). Analyzing the Past to Prepare for the Future: Writing a Literature Review. MIS Quarterly, 26(2), xiii–xxiii, https://dio: 10.2307/4132319
Wu, S., Tian, Y., & Zhu, J. (2023). China’s environmental impact assessment reform from the perspective of public-private collaboration. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 100, 107089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2023.107089
Zhao, Y., Zheng, L., & Zhu, J. (2022). Could environmental courts reduce carbon intensity? Evidence from cities of China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 377, 134444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134444
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Mohammad Shaheen Alam, Md. Hasan Imam Forhad, Md Hasan, Md Hossain Ali, Md Siful Islam, Md Alamin Bhuiyan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
