Abstract
Over the last twenty years, the greater Paris metropolitan region has seen a decline in vehicle trips per capita, and has
invested in alternative modes. Understanding this transition requires looking beyond the formal planning process to the deliberative systems surrounding transportation in the city. Tim Marshall argues that those interested in participation, and even more so in the prospect of deliberation, should look to France and should broaden our vision beyond formal participation to the deliberative system. We take up Marshall’s call for deliberative systems research with a comparative analysis of two public deliberations around subway network extension and bus transit improvement, and use Sherry Arnstein’s ladder of participation as a set of evaluation criteria. Both involve engagement at multiple scales, and are embedded in ongoing deliberations that stretch beyond their formal consultation periods. We explore whether such deliberation led to a consensual, sustainable territorial project. We find that while the system as a whole ranks on the lower rungs of Arnstein’s ladder and does not reach its aspirational vision of inclusive community participation, moments where coalitions formed to shape the problem-solution nexus moved up the ladder from consultation to partnership, making the Paris system a good model to strengthen and replicate elsewhere.
Introduction
The Paris region is in the process of imagining how to make car-free travel possible both within the dense walkable core of Paris and the car-oriented outlying suburbs. Over the last twenty years, both Paris and its surrounding regions have seen a decline in vehicle trips per capita, and have invested in alternative modes. These choices require not only decision maker buy-in but also individual buy-in, to maintain bus lanes free of cars and use the infrastructure provided to change the way they travel. Understanding this transition requires looking beyond the formal planning process to the deliberative systems surrounding transportation in the city. Tim Marshall argues that those interested in participation, and even more so in the prospect of deliberation, should look to France and should broaden their vision beyond formal participation to the deliberative system (Marshall 2016). We take up his call with a comparative look at two recent transportation projects, both in the Paris region. One is a traditional mega-project, the construction of a new metro system called the Grand Paris Express (GPE). The other is the launch of an urban transportation plan and its flagship project, a “structuring network” of improved bus routes throughout the
region known as Mobilien. Both involve engagement at multiple scales, and are embedded in ongoing deliberations that stretch beyond their formal consultation periods.
Paper: Beyond the Grands Chantiers: Mapping the Deliberative System of Transport Governance in Paris
