‘Invited participation’, equity and planning: intentions, processes and institutionalization in Sweden and beyond

It is repeatedly argued that social justice, equity and the interests of the marginalized and disadvantaged, benefit from government-driven ‘invited participation’ in spatial planning. In fact, often equity planning is described as participatory by definition. On the other hand, empirical research has repeatedly demonstrated that participatory governance initiatives may in fact be driven by other motives and has entirely different effects. By specifying four theoretical mechanisms and by arguing that Sweden fulfils crucial structural conditions as a most likely case for participatory governance success, this paper examines the opportunities for more equitable planning through invited participation based on a nationwide survey. The process-oriented analysis demonstrates that the inclusion of marginalized individuals into planning is primarily a strategy for ‘top-down’ implementation of policies already decided on, but also that also such ‘instrumental’ mechanisms suffer from weak and vague participation and obscure links to decision-making. The overall conclusion suggests that invited participation has limited potential to strengthen the interests of marginalized groups. Drawing on these observations, and elaborating on the initial theoretical expectations, an alternative ‘analytic narrative’ on the prospects for participatory governance as a means to promote equity in planning is outlined.