Clear Communication in Participatory Public Space Design
Keywords:
clear communication, participatory urban planning, inclusive co-design, vulnerable groupsAbstract
Clear communication is a fundamental condition for meaningful participation in urban planning, particularly when engaging vulnerable and marginalised groups that are often excluded from decision-making processes. Rather than focusing solely on simplifying language, this paper conceptualizes clear communication as a holistic and context-sensitive practice that adapts content, formats, tools, and modes of interaction to the diverse cognitive, linguistic, cultural, and digital capacities of participants.
Drawing on interdisciplinary literature across urban planning, participatory design, and communication accessibility, the paper analyses how clear communication shapes inclusive co-design processes in the development of public spaces. The analysis highlights how communication practices influence collaboration, accessibility, shared understanding, and the perceived legitimacy of participatory processes. At the same time, it identifies persistent barriers related to linguistic diversity, literacy, digital exclusion, and structural power asymmetries that continue to constrain equitable participation.
By examining both opportunities and barriers, the paper argues that participation cannot be understood independently of the communicative conditions in which it takes place. Clear communication emerges not as a supplementary accessibility measure, but as a structural component of inclusive participatory urban planning. The findings underline the need to embed communication considerations systematically within participatory methodologies in order to move from symbolic participation toward more substantive and equitable engagement in public space design.
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