The active participation in a community transformation project in China: constructing new forums for expert-citizen interaction

Abstract The call for citizen participation is a prominent theme in academic, public, and political discussions. Taking the S Village transformation project in Guangzhou City as a case study, this article examines how urban planners, as experts, contributed to improving citizen participation in local community planning. The planners constructed forums for expert-citizen interaction in which they provided residents with professional knowledge, performed multiple roles as both experts and communicators, and promoted capacity building; citizens were largely mobilized to perform active participation in this transformation project. The findings show that planners reframed the transformation plan based on villagers’ community identity towards the village history, which played an important role in reaching a mutual agreement regarding community development. The article echoes the argument that such professional groups have, as planners, emerged as mediators linking the government and citizens in Chinese community governance and discovers their role as an engine for promoting villagers’ innovation and self-development capacity. However, the study reveals that experts’ role in supporting citizens’ participation is restricted due to such factors as a lack of institutional support and high operating costs. More research needs to be done to explore how experts could better facilitate civic participation in different contexts.