The study explores how collaborative bicycle planning in Beirut might be exercised, and what it might contribute to transport planning. Three participatory workshops were conducted with recent bicycle adopters, focused on developing a preliminary user-informed bicycle network and the criteria to shape. Wider stakeholder interviews gauged perceptions of ideal participation, the workshop’s evaluation as a participatory process, and its contributions to improved planning.

This dissertation explores how the recent revision to the NPPF, which advocates the public disclosure of unreacted development viability assessments, can enable both the inclusion of non-technical expertise in viability modelling and effective public participation in related decision-making. The research focuses on the redevelopment of the Greenwich Peninsula; identifying the structure of urban governance and the stakeholders consulted in viability modelling.

This research utilizes a socio-institutionalist approach, adapted for ecologically complex systems, to develop a framework for evaluating: how and to what extent have the characteristics of multi-level planning regimes and non-governmental initiatives operating within the Don River Valley (DRV) and watershed, reflected and transformed one another? The framework developed utilizes the visual metaphor of a river system, exploring the literature, contexts and contemporary characteristics of three ‘tributaries’: regional planning structures, the Don watershed as an independent agent, and non-governmental advocacy groups. Then, changes across the tributaries are examined during collaborative episodes, within the main body of the ‘river,’ where the tributaries merge. By adding these key characteristics to a consideration of the form and impacts of collaborative episodes, the question, examining the reflections and transformations of regional planning structures and non-governmental groups as a result of their collaboration, is addressed. key findings are presented: firstly, non-governmental participant groups deeply internalize the fragmented, asymmetrical regional structures which frame governance of the Don watershed. Groups which are able to participate on strategic levels, must be integrated into official governance structures, becoming vulnerable to the constraints inherent in both governmental protocols, and non-governmental organizing. Secondly, environmental ‘stewardship’ has been actively appropriated by all planning jurisdictions operating within the watershed, taken from its original usage within the context of non-governmental protection of the Don, a tactic for filling gaps in planning and governance abilities. By making public stewardship an articulated policy item, planning jurisdictions ignore the necessity of strategic coordination of stewardship initiatives towards wider, ecologically-minded goals. Finally, active restoration projects initiated by non-governmental groups have been recognized and incorporated into official planning policy, not through appropriation, but intentional inclusion and recognition of strengths and abilities. Non-governmental partners are actively sought by staff to lead site-based restoration projects, creating genuine partnerships.

This dissertation investigates social implications of built environment interventions (BEI) related to bicycle urbanism from a Spatial Justice (Soja, 2010) perspective. By combining urban spatial theory and mobilities research, the novel theoretical framework Mobility Space helps to analyse spatial, experiential and discursive aspects of urban mobility priorities concomitantly and is thus an adequate analytical tool to uncover how recently proliferating cycling strategies impact society through an alteration of urban space. A qualitative and multi-method research design combines descriptive mapping, virtual site observation and semi-structured interviews to apply Mobility Space to the controversial Mini-Holland programme in Waltham Forest, London. Examining in detail the Walthamstow Village scheme, the research finds three patterns by which BEI related to bicycle urbanism re-organize movement, re-allocate space and re-design public realm to prioritize active travel and dwelling while discouraging car use. Those spatial alterations shift the political organization of space which in turn affects the Right to the City (Lefebvre et al., 1996) – an expression of Spatial Justice – as it enables a greater diversity of people to use urban space (right to appropriation) and makes them conscious how the space they inhabit is discursively produced and the outcome of contentious decision-making processes (right to participation). This research is relevant for urban professionals as environmental as well as pandemic-related urban mobility challenges necessitate a transformation of urban space to accommodate cycling, but negative outcomes for social equity, as resulting from car-urbanism, need to be avoided.

In this age of rapid urbanisation and the continuous pressure for new developments, cities are facing more and more complex issues. Lack of public money leads central Governments to cut funding and privatise public services and spaces. This affects the ability to deliver civic and community services and leads to a state of “austerity urbanism” (Tonkiss, 2013).The growing trend of privatisation was expressed in 2018 when the railway network sold its railway arches to a private operator (“Network Rail sells railway arches”, 2018). This privatisation of the arches and local authorities cuts led to the appearance of new uses type under the railway arches. Most of them are commercial and retail uses that aim to maximise private interests and financial profit. Those types of uses do not necessarily enhance the needs of local communities; it increases rent prices, pushes out the current business, accelerates gentrification and displacement.This project aims to explore the use of the Commons (community-managed resources) and bottom-up approaches to provide a new community civic infrastructure under the railway arches that create social and economic value for the area and promotes a socially inclusive regeneration process. The project first reviews the current trends regarding adaptation and uses under the railway arches, followed by a theoretical review about a partnership, bottom-up approaches and civic engagement in addition to value creation and value capture. The theoretical aspects will be explored in the literature review and used to analyse case-studies from London and around the world. Those will shape the proposed toolkit, which then will be applied to a chosen site.

This dissertation set out to assess whether voluntary business partnerships influence the inclusivity of public participation in regenerated areas through the case study of Urban Partners in King’s Cross. Whilst existing literature is predominated by participation in multi-actor governance networks created to mobilise regeneration, and private business partnerships including BIDs, this research adds to the debate through the exploration of participation influenced by voluntary business partnerships mitigating the impacts of continued regeneration. It investigated this influence through the membership structure and strategy for membership recruitment, and mechanisms influencing wider community participation. It also evaluated the risks associated with sustaining participation in a voluntary business partnership, and the extent to which the aims of the partnership are influenced by the local community.