Symbolic or substantive? Intermediaries and the practice of public participation

This study examines the understudied intermediary role of planning consultants in shaping public participation in smart city planning in Indonesia. In this descriptive qualitative study, we analyzed interviews with stakeholders in Mojokerto Regency, Indonesia using established participation frameworks. Evidence from this case indicates that consultants bridge technical and communicative gaps and may align with the tokenism spectrum due to centralized government authority and absent feedback mechanisms, thereby undermining public trust and substantive engagement. Institutional constraints limit consultants’ capacity to champion inclusive planning and constrain participation to procedural compliance, raising questions about achieving genuinely community-driven transformation.