L’influence des parties prenantes dans les grands projets urbains

Abstract

Numerous cities are pursuing large urban projects in order to consolidate both their international reputation and their position in an increasing context of competition between cities. These complex projects involve a multitude of stakeholders; that is, groups or individuals that can affect or be affected by the objectives of the project, including public officers, investors, the civil society, professionals, etc. The comparative analysis of the organizational structure (the set of stakeholders and the relationships between them) and management mechanisms (strategic tools, tactical urban planning methods, tools for citizen participation) in two large urban projects – the Quartier des spectacles in Montreal (Canada) and Lyon Confluence (France) – shows how this structure and these mechanisms determine the level of influence of the different stakeholders on the project. Despite the fact that participation has contributed to informing citizens, building trust, and making decision, the study shows that in both cases, strategic decisions were taken by « urban elites » (Pinson, 2009). Although these « urban elites » are composed by a multiplicity of actors, public authorities in Lyon largely dominate the urban project, whereas in Montreal the project is dominated by both public and private urban elites. Finally, the study highlights the advantages and disadvantages of participation models proposed by S. Arnstein (1969) and UN-Habitat (2009).

Keywords

• governance
• urban planning
• process
• large urban project
• stakeholder
• citizen participation