Public Participation in the Production of Public Space: The Case of Jabriya Neighborhood, Kuwait

Public participation is key in planning for public space. Resident participation in the decision-making processes that take place on the local level in their neighborhoods can help create a more sustainable development and provide a higher quality urban life.

Although many lessons have been learned from earlier efforts to guide planning in Kuwait, the planning process continues to be implemented through a top-down approach. The Municipal Council governs the planning of each region with its members (10 elected and 6 appointed). Public participation in planning is entirely reactive; it takes place generally in the form of complaints on a specific issue that then leads to action from the governing Municipal Council. Decisions are therefore made at an administrative level. While complaints are sometimes met, they do not necessarily represent the needs of the whole community. In order to achieve a better quality of urban life, increase trust and social capital in the community more attention needs to be paid to community needs through participatory processes in neighborhood planning throughout Kuwait, especially in the planning of public space.