Architecture, Building and Planning - Theses
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ItemThe effects of participation on attitudes regarding socio-environmwntal sustainability within local planning in the Philippines( 2001)Local planning in the Philippines is characterised by low levels of participation, which is also consistent with low levels of political participation observed between the middle class and the poor. Furthermore, elitist planning and decision-making is accompanied by a preponderant use of planning guidelines and techniques imposed by central government agencies on local planning bodies - further discouraging participation. I have observed that this traditional, topdown mode of planning does not promote what I call socio-environmental sustainability in local planning. This includes sense of ownership of the plan and planning process by the community, inclusiveness, people empowerment and sustainable planning outcomes among other things. On the other hand, participatory planning promotes them. In this study, I argue that participatory rather than non-participatory planning approaches promote socio-environmental sustainability. The study was based on a survey undertaken between two groups of respondents - those who participated in a series of land use planning workshops and those who did not - within the case study area, which is a rural town in eastern Philippines. The methodology involved the use of probability sampling techniques, questionnaire and interviews. The findings suggest that experience in participatory planning increases socio-environmental sustainability within local planning in the Philippines. Specifically, ownership is manifested through non-acceptance of plans made from the top. It is also evident, as participants would rather claim primary responsibility for land use and environmental planning than just leave it entirely with the local government. The study also shows that participation has a restraining effect on the power of the elite who had a propensity to manipulate the planning process for their ends. Furthermore, participation also elicits more responsible decision-making by authorities that indicate the potential influence people may have on political leaders. The favourable attitude towards participatory approaches and their positive effects, which were also observed to have resulted from the experience of participation, can be attributed to the role of participation in informing, educating, developing convictions or consciousness raising necessary to liberate communities from traditional, elitist ways of planning and decision-making as well as largely unresponsive, ineffective and irrelevant plans.
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ItemParticipative techniques for urban environmental improvement( 1997)The aim of this research is to discover the characteristics for a successful participative bottom-up technique for urban environmental improvement. As we are nearing the end of the second millennium, the state of the environment is gradually being recognised as everyone's concern. Problems of air and water pollution, and rising population are even more acute in urban areas. Urban regions and urban people are facing environmental crises, some more severe than others. In some instances, urban people have responded to specific environmental problems at the local scale and have achieved some success. But often such responses tend to be ad hoc, and do not ensure continuity. Businesses and other structured organisations have used participative techniques to allow changes to take place at the lower levels of the organisational hierarchy. They have been used for several decades in the world of business, and have achieved some success. A review of different participative management techniques showed that some are structured, and some are not. Most of them rely on group interaction. It was found that two of the business techniques reviewed could be transferred to the community. They are the suggestion scheme and the quality circle techniques. The suggestion scheme is an unstructured technique and is based on individual initiative, whereas the quality circle is a structured technique and it is group-based. These techniques were adapted to the community, and were called the Community Suggestion Scheme and the Community Quality Circle. Since a trial would determine the effectiveness of the techniques in the community, a case study approach was used. The Community Suggestion Scheme and the Community Quality Circle were trialed in the community over a period of three years. The Habitat project in Western Melbourne was used as the umbrella organisation to carry out the trial. The Community Suggestion Scheme was trialed first, and was partly successful. It acted as a feeder for the Community Quality Circle. The Community Quality Circle was an unqualified success. The first Community Quality Circle formed - Habitat: Mount St. Josephs Community Quality Circle is still in operation showing that it is capable of being independent and self-managing. Certain characteristics for successful participative bottom-up environmental improvement processes emerged from the trials. Techniques need to be flexible and open to change and learning. They must take diverse approaches to problem-solving. Techniques that are group-based are more likely to succeed than individual-based techniques. Their structure should be flexible, not rigid, and techniques must be capable of self-perpetuation and self-management. The members should be given the opportunity to become familiar with each other. The support of an overarching umbrella organisation is essential for techniques to be successful in the community. Incorporating these characteristics allows the development of future participative methods for environmental improvement. The research shows that participative techniques can be used as a potent medium to instigate environmental improvement in urban areas.
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ItemEnvironmental values( 1994)There is little doubt that we are facing an environmental crisis. The crisis is reflected in the writings of eminent philosophers, scientists and social theorists as well as in the everyday concerns of ordinary citizens. In spite, though, of the widely disseminated misgivings about the future of the planet there is less consensus about appropriate courses of action. How can we take effective action in the face of the crisis in relations with the natural world? What is the role played by individual and social value systems in making appropriate changes in behaviour? What theories of social action are most appropriate for understanding and working towards the changes in behaviour that seem to be required? These are the questions addressed in this thesis. The research reported in this thesis shows that the theoretical model of communicative action developed by Jurgen Habermas provides an invaluable framework for investigation, interpretation and understanding of the complex role of values in attempts to change environmental behaviour. The research also shows that the theory of communicative approach has emancipatory potential in that it could provide the basis for a process for bringing about desired changes