Epistemological and ethical dilemmas of public participation on residential tourism planning

Guadalupe

Description

Abstract
There exists a wide consensus among governance theorists about the need of broadening the level of active engagement of the public in the processes of local planning and decision making. Howev-er, the praxis of public participation still arise many doubts and uncertainties that have not been solved by the academia yet. This paper examines the problems and difficulties faced during the design and implementation of a public participation process on the alternatives and future of several local development projects of residential tourism in two municipalities in the South-East of Spain. The objective of this paper is to show the main epistemological and ethical dilemmas (legitimacy, representation and utility) challenged during this project, as well as some of the answers given to these questions.
Resumen
Existe un amplio acuerdo teórico sobre la necesidad de ampliar el nivel de implicación activa del público en los procesos de planificación local y la toma de decisiones. Sin embargo, la praxis de la participación pública todavía suscita muchas dudas e incertidumbres que no han sido resueltas por la academia todavía. Este artículo analiza los problemas y dificultades surgidos durante el diseño e imple-mentación de un proceso de participación pública sobre las alternativas y futuro de diversos proyectos de desarrollo turístico-residencial en dos municipios de la provincia de Alicante. El objetivo de este artículo es mostrar los principales dilemas epistemológicos y éticos (legitimación, representatividad y utilidad) afrontados durante este proyecto, así como algunas de las respuestas dadas a estas cuestiones.

Sujets

• Public participation
• Legitimacy
• Methodology
• Legitimacion
• Metodología

Informations

• Publié par: erevistas
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2007
• Nombre de lectures: 27
• Langue: English

Extrait

Vol. 5 Nº 3 págs. 323-329. 2007

www.pasosonline.org


Epistemological and ethical dilemmas of public participation on
resi1dential tourism planning

Guadalupe Ortiz Noguera; Hugo García Andreu
I
Mª Pilar Juan Palmer; Antonio Aledo Tur
University of Alicante (Spain)


Abstract: There exists a wide consensus among governance theorists about the need of broadening the
level of active engagement of the public in the processes of local planning and decision making.
However, the praxis of public participation still arise many doubts and uncertainties that have not been
solved by the academia yet. This paper examines the problems and difficulties faced during the design
and implementation of a public participation process on the alternatives and future of several local
development projects of residential tourism in two municipalities in the South-East of Spain. The
objective of this paper is to show the main epistemological and ethical dilemmas (legitimacy,
representation and utility) challenged during this project, as well as some of the answers given to these
questions.
Keywords: Public participation; Critical perspective; Epistemological dilemmas; Legitimacy;
Methodology.


Resumen: Existe un amplio acuerdo teórico sobre la necesidad de ampliar el nivel de implicación activa
del público en los procesos de planificación local y la toma de decisiones. Sin embargo, la praxis de la
participación pública todavía suscita muchas dudas e incertidumbres que no han sido resueltas por la
academia todavía. Este artículo analiza los problemas y dificultades surgidos durante el diseño e
implementación de un proceso de participación pública sobre las alternativas y futuro de diversos
proyectos de desarrollo turístico-residencial en dos municipios de la provincia de Alicante. El objetivo de
este artículo es mostrar los principales dilemas epistemológicos y éticos (legitimación, representatividad
y utilidad) afrontados durante este proyecto, así como algunas de las respuestas dadas a estas cuestiones.

Palabras clave: Participación pública; Perspectiva crítica; Dilemas epistemológicos; Legitimación;
Metodología.




I • Guadalupe Ortiz Noguera (E-mail: [e-mail]), Hugo García Andreu (E-mail:
[e-mail]), and Mª Pilar Juan Palmer (E-mail: [e-mail]) are Ph.D Students (University of Alicante,
Department of Sociology). Antonio Aledo Tur is Lecturer in Environmental Sociology (University of Alicante,
Department ofy), E-mail: [e-mail]
© PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural. ISSN 1695-7121 324 Epistemological and ethical dilemmas ...

Introduction start an unavoidable phase of decline. This
situation makes it necessary to design
viThere exists a wide consensus among able proposals of reorientation for
consoligovernance theorists about the need of dated destinations as one of the case
studbroadening the level of active engagement ies of this project (Dénia) and for
municiof the public in the processes of local plan- palities that are in the early phases of the
ning and related decision making. Either model (as the second municipality analysed
2with an ideological objective of promoting in this research: Villena) .
ideals such as legitimacy, equity, transpar- The driving force of this research has
ency, accountability, justice, etc., or with a been an intellectual interest, this is,
providmore pragmatic purpose of assuring effi- ing proposals from the academy for a
sociocient and effective decision making proc- economic model of development (residential
esses (Abelson et al., 2003; Adger, 2002; tourism) that scholars have defined as
unMeadowcroft, 2003), public participation is sustainable. Although this qualification of
considered to be a requirement for what unsustainability is the outcome of a long
has come to be called good governance. scientific research activity. (Gartner, 1987;
However, the praxis of public participa- Vera, 1987; Aledo and Mazón, 2004), we
tion still arises many doubts and uncer- wonder about the social legitimacy of such
tainties that have not been solved by the an assertion, which should be considered as
academia yet. This paper examines the an intellectual production rather than a
problems and difficulties faced during the definition socially agreed.
design and implementation of a public par- The validity and legitimacy of this
asticipation process on the alternatives and sertion proposed from the academia is
future of several local development projects questioned by several arguments: 1) the
of residential tourism in two municipalities acknowledgment of the value bias that can
in the South-East of Spain. The aim of this be found in every academic approach
Project is to offer a set of proposals for the (Kemmis and McTaggart, 2000); 2) the
acreorientation of the residential tourism ceptation of the fact that these values are
sector towards a new model that is envi- not superior, just because they are
scienronmentally, economically and socially sus- tific, to the values from the local and
entainable. The important growth of this sec- dogenous knowledge (Rahman, 1993); and
tor in the last years, as well as the favour- 3) that from the combination of this value
able expectances of future development, diversity and the self-critical reflection that
require an analytical approach that allows allows encountering the other, it can be
the identification of the costs and benefits obtained a more emancipated approach
it generates, and the design of restructur- about our own cultural constructions
(Viling and improvement proposals for this lasante, Montañés and Martín, 2001).
area of study. This focus leads us to think, first, about
To introduce the context of this re- the existence of other qualifications for this
search, 600,000 new second homes are ex- socio-economic model that might be in
conpected to be built in Spain in the next flict with that proposed by the academic
years, and the province of Alicante will sphere, and, second, to which extent the
develop 20% of them. At present, the num- academic initiative is imposed or interferes
ber of tourist houses in the province of Ali- with a social dynamic that some social
cante ranges from 350,000 to 400,000, groups do not perceive as conflictive, or
mainly demanded by British, German and that do not feel specially threatened by
French residential tourists. Aledo and scenarios of risk and unsustainability.
Mazón (2004) have proved that the unlim- With the aim of solving these queries
ited growth of residential tourism has led about legitimacy, and trying to motivate
some municipalities on the coast of Alicante reflexive and practical projects, it was
deto the end of the tourism product life cycle. cided to activate participatory processes
As Butler (1980) says, at this moment of where the different social groups more or
the cycle it is required to articulate renewal less related to the object of analysis were
measures or the tourist destination will represented with equity.
PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural, 5(3). 2007 ISSN 1695-7121

Guadalupe Ortiz; Hugo García; Mª Pilar Juan; Antonio Aledo 325

Finally, this research team is interested nisms of the tourism market.
in finding ways to transform the knowledge d) High fidelity of the residential tourist to
achieved through deliberation into useful the destination, as they want to recoup
knowledge for the different social groups, the cost of the house.
so that it is not a mere academic benefit. In e) Low expenses per day of the residential
other words, accomplishing mechanisms tourist.
that can be activated so that, once there is f) High environmental impact of the
exa consensus about a theoretic reflection on tensive residential areas.
the most appropriate model of local devel- g) Lack of planning as a consequence of the
opment related to residential tourism, it dependency of the local authority
fican be agreed a praxis to implement the nances on the urban taxes generated by
principles reached through the public par- this kind of rapid development (Aledo &
ticipation process. Mazón, 2004).
This urban model has been developed
mainly on the Spanish Mediterranean The context: Residential Tourism in the
coast, although it is nowadays spreading Spanish Mediterranean and the Villena
towards inland municipalities. Dénia is a and Dénia case studies
good example of a coastal municipality with
a mature residential-tourism development. As Aledo and Mazón (2004) have stated,
Dénia has a population of 40,601. The his-since 1970 the Spanish Mediterranean
tory of the residential tourism in Dénia coasts have undergone an expansion of a
starts with the arrival of tourists from new urban model based on the second home
Europe, along with middle-upper class market. The typology of these residential
tourist from Madrid and Valencia. Nowa-developments is characterized by
horizondays its economy is based o