Engaging citizens in land use policy in the smart city context

In the otherwise rich debate on smart cities, the intersection of land use and spatial planning, on the one hand, their social and societal implications, on the other hand, and finally, the potential inherent in ICT-enhanced tools underlying the functioning, operation, management, and administration of smart city, remain overlooked. Considering that, due to multiple environmental and societal pressures, land use, has become more political than ever, whereby pleas for open and transparent methods of coordination, deliberation, and participation prolif-erate, it is imperative that citizens are involved in the land use policymaking at the level of the city and the neighborhoods. Even if substantial literature addressing each of these issues exists, approaches that would fit these multiple pieces of the puzzle together in one equation are still missing. By elaborating on the findings of an online survey (N = 5752) involving the citizens of a smart city (Lublin, Poland), this paper responds to this imperative. The findings suggest that utilizing insights from e-participation tools and surveys, in combination with more traditional instruments, such as meetings, debates, and workshops, may significantly improve land use policies in (smart) cities.