Abdul Allam
Political Science
July 2025
The paper critically analyses the development and performance of participatory urban planning in Kerala in India, a state that has gained enormous recognition as being progressive in decentralized governance. The study is set in the background of the post-73 rd and 74 th Constitutional Amendment and examines the way Kerala has institutionalized the citizen participation process in the state by initiating projects like People Planning Campaign (PPC), Kudumbashree Mission and Sutharyakeralam e-governance platform. The study deploys the qualitative case study methodology to investigate the views of stakeholders and four major participatory initiatives and the contribution of the community mobilization, women-led planning, and digital platforms in the improvement of civic engagement. The results indicate that community ownership, inclusiveness and integration of technology play a key role in sustainable and responsible governance. Nonetheless, issues like caste-based exclusion, digital illiteracy, elite capture, and low administrative capacity are still there. Basing on the Ladder of Participation by Arnstein and the international models of comparison, the paper provides policy recommendations that can be implemented to overcome these shortcomings and enhance the Kerala model as a model that could be replicated in other Indian states and Global South.
250- 258
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