Is Supranational Participation Possible? The European Union’s Attempt to Enhance Participation in Dublin’s Transport Initiative

In this chapter the focus on participation within infrastructure projects is continued. The example taken here explores a sub-national municipal transport policy that was largely funded by the European Union (EU). This funding was conditional on a participatory planning approach being undertaken by Irish authorities. Unfortunately the subsequent Dublin Transport Initiative (DTI) does not suggest that EU funded projects can easily achieve a participatory structure in their implementation. Instead of genuine participation all that was achieved was a rather patchy consultation exercise. Even this approach ultimately succumbed to political forces that have successfully resisted the DTI’s final conclusions. This failure to develop a more genuine participatory structure is explained by reference to a number of bottom-up and top-down variables: poor domestic institutional architecture, a political culture unused to the very idea of participation, and excessive reliance on procedural approaches rather than substantive political reforms. In conclusion the distinction between these twin avenues of reform is drawn out. Regarding the former some optimistic concrete prescriptions are suggested, whereas a more pessimistic caution is argued for with respect to the viability of the EU process securing deep seated cultural and institutional reform among domestic planning regimes.