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Participation, Empowerment and Sustainability: (How) Do the Links Work?

Faculty of the Built Environment, South Bank University, 202 Wandsworth Road, London, SW8 2JZ, UK, lyonsm{at}sbu.ac.uk

Carin Smuts

CS Studio Architects, 42 Vredehoek Avenue, Cape Town 8001, South Africa. csstudio{at}mweb.co.za

Anthea Stephens

Faculty of the Built Environment, South Bank University, 202 Wandsworth Road, London, SW8 2JZ, UK, anthea.stephens{at}xsinet.co.za

This paper investigates the relationship between participation, empowerment and sustainability. Using the multisectoral and multicontextual experience of participation amassed in South Africa, both pre- and post-apartheid , we address two questions: does participation lead to empowerment; and does empowerment, in turn, lead to sustainability? Further, what external factors mediate and influence that relationship? Analysis shows that a relationship does exist and is contingent on a number of contextual factors, crucial to its success. Findings are discussed in terms of the international literature on community participation and local democracy, and policy implications are identified.

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