Societal Synergy for Our Common Future : Young Citizens’ Perspectives on Participating in the Sustainable Development and Urban Planning Process of Madrid

Abstract: The Madrid City Council’s efforts to invite citizens to decision making are being examined through the eyes of six young inhabitants, aged 18-30. Their views on sustainability and experiences of participating in the city development are gained through qualitative, semi-structured interviews. The interviewed citizens find sustainability important, but their definitions are not in accordance with the polysemic way sustainability is being conceived and discussed theoretically. It also differs from their experience of how the government defines it. The findings are filtered through the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development, urban planning, and citizen engagement. While expressing a low trust in the institutions, the citizens seem to believe that the city takes the public’s opinions into account, but to a low extent. Possible explanations to the perspectives provided by the interviewees and the current situation of low participation rate among young inhabitants are presented. Strategies for how the Madrid City Council could increase the participation rate among young citizens are then suggested, such as increased governmental transparency, increased focus on projects related to sustainability, and improved education about sustainability.