ABSTRACT
Developing some of the ideas discussed in the previous chapter, this chapter considers the results of case study research into two urban regeneration programmes: the North Belfast Housing Strategy in Northern Ireland, and the Ballymun regeneration initiative in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The chapter begins with a review of the promotion of public participation in urban regeneration programmes and in sustainable development policies in both Irish jurisdictions. A theoretical discussion follows, highlighting that the interaction between state agencies and civil society in urban regeneration is mediated through participation structures, and a definition of sustainable participation is proposed. Participation is then presented as a hegemonic project within urban regeneration programmes, operationalised through partnership structures. A framework is put forward to assist the analysis of participation processes as a site of interaction between the state and civil society, in order to assess the effectiveness of participation processes in urban regeneration programmes. The case study research findings are then presented, depicting the gap between the ideology of participation and its complex, uneven reality. Finally, some conclusions are drawn about the nature of participation in the case study areas and some other more general issues.
