Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Power and rationality in coastal planning: effects on participation and possibility in the management of barrier island dunes in Flagler Beach, Florida, U.S.A

  • Published:
Journal of Coastal Conservation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article offers an empirical example of how power and rationality interact in coastal resource planning and management and reveals their implications for meaningful public participation in such processes. Participation has gained significant popularity over the last decades especially regarding the need to develop appropriate and democratic opportunities for meaningful public involvement in resource planning and management. However, planning processes involve interactions between different actors with different levels and types of power and thus pose problematic contexts for democratic decision-making and public participation. Understanding planning processes as manifestations of the interactions between power and rationality provides a useful analytical lens to interrogate past and current planning procedures, and how such dynamics may impede the potential for more desirable modes of public participation. Drawing on ongoing research in the coastal community of Flagler Beach, Florida, I demonstrate, through qualitative analysis of public documents, legislation, interviews, and observations, how this plays out in a real-world planning context. I draw conclusions from the empirical case area relevant to the praxis of action-oriented researchers concerned with facilitating social change for sustainability. I propose three axioms relevant to power-laden resource planning and management processes and central to future critical planning research: power-rationality relations have historical roots; power-rationality relations are context-dependent; power-rationality relations affect the potential for public participation. Taken together, these indicate that any research intending to critically investigate planning processes with the goal of enhancing the potential for meaningful public participation should incorporate these axioms, maintain a responsibility to identify others, and adjust theory and research praxis accordingly.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. ‘The term ‘take’ means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct.’, while an “incidental take” is regarding a ‘“take” that results from, but is not the purpose of, carrying out an otherwise lawful activity’ (USFWS 2014).

References

  • Apperson AM (2004) Emergency Meeting of the Flagler Beach City Commission September 7, 2004 at 1:00 P.M. Meeting Minutes. Flagler Beach City Commission

  • Arnstein SR (1969) A ladder of citizen participation. J Am Inst Plann 35:216–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Avelino F, Rotmans J (2009) Power in transition: an interdisciplinary framework to study power in relation to structural change. Eur J Soc Theory 12:543–569

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnes M, Newman J, Knops A, Sullivan H (2003) Constituting ‘the public’ in public participation. Public Adm 81:379–399

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brydon-Miller M, Greenwood D, Maguire P (2003) Why action research? Action Res 1:9–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bulkeley H, Mol AP (2003) Participation and environmental governance: consensus, ambivalence and debate. Environ Values 12:143–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bush DM, Neal WJ, Longo NJ, Lindeman KC, Pilkey DF, Esteves LS, Congleton JD, Pilkey OH Jr (2004) Living with Florida’s Atlantic beaches: coastal hazards from Amelia Island to Key West. Duke University Press, Durham, 360 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Callinicos A (2007) Social theory: a historical introduction. Polity Press, Cambridge, 368 p

    Google Scholar 

  • City of Flagler Beach (2013) Workshop Meeting of the Flagler Beach City Commission, Thursday February 14, 2013 at 4:00 P.M. Flagler Beach City Commission Meetings Online

  • Clark WC, Dickson NM (2003) Sustainability science: the emerging research program. Proc Natl Acad Sci 100:8059–8061

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clegg S (1989) Frameworks of power. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, 320 p

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper J, Mckenna J (2008) Social justice in coastal erosion management: the temporal and spatial dimensions. Geoforum 39:294–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cornwall A (2004) Spaces for transformation? Reflections on issues of power and difference in participation in development. In: Hickey S, Mohan G (eds) Participation- from tyranny to transformation: exploring New approaches to participation in development. Zed Books, London, pp 75–91, 304 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Crosset KM (2005) Population trends along the coastal United States: 1980-2008. Government Printing Office

  • Day D (1997) Citizen participation in the planning process: an essentially contested concept? J Plan Lit 11:421–434

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elko N, Davis Jr R (2006) Morphologic evolution of similar barrier islands with different coastal management. J Coast Res 127-131

  • FDEP (2010) Coastal society. In: FACT 2010- Florida Assessment of Coastal Trends 2000–2010. FDEP Florida Coastal Management Program, Tallahassee, 402 p

    Google Scholar 

  • FDEP (2014) The Coastal Construction Control Line Permitting (CCCL) [Online]. Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Available: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/beaches/programs/ccclprog.htm. Accessed June 16 2014

  • FDOT (2007) Public hearing: state road A1A project development and environment study. ETDM Number: 7641 ed. Florida Department of Transportation

  • FDOT (2010) SR A1A PD&E study final project development summary report. Florida Department of Transportation- District 5 and U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration

  • FDOT (2012) 2012 Listing of designated roads in Florida [Online]. Florida Department of Transportation, Transportation Statistics Office. Available: http://www.dot.state.fl.us/planning/statistics/hwydata/desroads.pdf [Accessed June 16 2014]

  • FDOT (2013) Efficient transportation decision making manual [Online]. Florida Department of Transportation. Available: http://www.dot.state.fl.us/emo/pubs/etdm/etdmmanual.shtm [Accessed June 17 2014]

  • FDOT (2014a) Federal-aid road report [Online]. Florida Department of Transportation, Transportation Statistics Office. Available: http://www.dot.state.fl.us/planning/statistics/fedaid/fedaidrpt.pdf [Accessed June 16 2014]

  • FDOT (2014b) Project Development and Environment Manual (PD&E) [Online]. Florida Department of Transportation. Available: http://www.dot.state.fl.us/emo/pubs/pdeman/pdeman1.shtm [Accessed June 17 2014]

  • Florida Scenic Highway (n.d.) A1A scenic & historic coastal byway [Online]. America’s Byways, Florida Department of Transportation. Available: http://www.floridascenichighways.com/a1a-scenic-historical-coastal-byway/ [Accessed June 16 2014]

  • Florida Oceans and Coastal Council (2010) Climate change and sea-level rise in Florida: an update of “The Effects of Climate Change on Florida’s Ocean and Coastal Resources.” [2009 Report] Tallahassee, Florida

  • Flyvbjerg B (1996) The dark side of planning: rationality and realrationalität. In: Explorations in planning theory. p 383–394

  • Flyvbjerg B (1998) Rationality and power: democracy in practice. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 304 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Flyvbjerg B (2002) Bringing power to planning research: one researcher’s praxis story. J Plan Educ Res 21:353–366

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flyvbjerg B (2003) Rationality and power. In: Campbell S, Fainstein S (eds) Readings in planning theory. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Malden, pp 318–329, 584 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Flyvbjerg B (2004) Phronetic planning research: theoretical and methodological reflections. Plann Theory Pract 5:283–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuller D, Kitchin R (Eds) (2004) Radical theory/critical praxis: academic geography beyond the academy?. Critical Topographies Series. Vernon and Victoria, BC, Canada: Praxis (e)Press, 171 p

  • Geels FW (2011) The multi-level perspective on sustainability transitions: responses to seven criticisms. Environ Innov Soc Transit 1:24–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giddens A (2013) The constitution of society: outline of the theory of structuration. Polity Press, Cambridge, 440 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Grimble R, Wellard K (1997) Stakeholder methodologies in natural resource management: a review of principles, contexts, experiences and opportunities. Agr Syst 55:173–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gustavsen B (2007) Research responses to practical challenges: what can action research contribute? Int J Action Res 3:93–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Hägerstrand T (2001) A look at the political geography of environmental management. Sustainable Landscapes and Lifeways. Scale and Appropriateness, op. cit, 35–58

  • Hägerstrand T, Clark E (1998) On the political geography of transportation and land use policy coordination. COST 332: transport and land-use policies: resistance and hopes for coordination: proceedings of the Launching Seminar of the Action COST 332 24-25 October 1996, Barcelona, Spain. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 19

  • Harvey D (2003) The right to the city. Int J Urban Reg Res 27:939–941

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey D (2008) The right to the city. New Left Review 53

  • Harvey D (2010) Social justice and the city. University of Georgia Press, Athens, 368 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Hickey S, Mohan G (2004) Participation-from tyranny to transformation?: exploring new approaches to participation in development. Zed Books, London, 304 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmberg Technologies Inc. (2014) Home Page [Online]. Available: http://www.erosion.com/ [Accessed June 17 2014]

  • Innes JE, Booher DE (2000) Public participation in planning: new strategies for the 21st century. Working Paper 2000-07. Paper prepared for the annual conference of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, November 2-5, 2000. University of California, Berkeley Institute of Urban and Regional Development

  • Jerneck A, Olsson L, Ness B, Anderberg S, Baier M, Clark E, Hickler T, Hornborg A, Kronsell A, Lövbrand E (2011) Structuring sustainability science. Sustain Sci 6:69–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kay R, Alder J (1998) Coastal planning and management. CRC Press, Boca Raton, 400 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Lefebvre H (2002) The right to the city. Pg. 147–159 In: Lefebvre, Writings on Cities. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers Ltd. 260 p

  • Magliocca NR, Mcnamara DE, Murray AB (2011) Long-term, large-scale morphodynamic effects of artificial dune construction along a barrier island coastline. J Coast Res 27:918–930

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marloww and Company (2014) RE: Correspondence between Marlowe & Company Government Affairs Consulants and Flagler Beach City Manager. Type to BRUCE CAMPBELL

  • Mcnamara D, Werner B (2008) Coupled barrier island–resort model: 1. Emergent instabilities induced by strong human‐landscape interactions. J Geophys Res: Earth Surf (2003–2012) 113

  • Mitchell D (2008) New axioms for reading the landscape: paying attention to political economy and social justice. In: Wescoat JL, Johnston DM (eds) Political economies of landscape change: places of integrative power. Springer, New York, pp 29–50, 222 p

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell D (2012) Right to the city: social justice and the fight for public space. Guilford Press, New York, 284 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Mosier AE, Witherington BE (2002) Documented effects of coastal armoring structures on sea turtle nesting behavior. In: Mosier A, Foley A, Brost B (compilers). Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-477,. 304–306

  • NOAA (2013) National Coastal Population Report: Population Trends from 1970 to 2020. NOAA’s State of the Coast. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, U.S. Censs Bureau

  • NOAA (2014) Chronological List of All Hurricanes: 1851-2013 [Online]. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hurricane Research Division, Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory. Available: http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/All_U.S._Hurricanes.html [Accessed June 16 2014]

  • Odum WE (1982) Environmental degradation and the tyranny of small decisions. BioScience 32:728–729

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Overstreet P (2011) Regular Meeting of the Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 5:30 P.M. Meeting Minutes. Flagler Beach City Commission

  • Overstreet P (2012) Workshop Meeting of the Flagler Beach City Commission, Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 5:30 P.M. Meeting Minutes. Flagler Beach City Commission

  • Overstreet P (2013) Regular Meeting of the Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday, March 14, 2013 at 5:30 P.M.: Flagler Beach City Commission

  • Park RE (1967) On social control and collective behavior (Selected Papers). University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 274 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Pilkey OH Jr, Sharma DC, Wanless HP, Doyle LJ, SR Pilkey OH, Neal WJ, Gruver BL (1985) Living with the East Florida Shore. Duke University Press, Durham, 274 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Pilkey OHJ, Cooper AG (2014) The last beach. Duke University Press, Durham

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Pilkey OH, Dixon KL (1996) The corps and the shore. Island Press, Washington, 286 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Pilkey OH, Sampson DW (1998) White Paper: Notes on the Holmberg Undercurrent Stabalizer (TM). Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines: Durham, NC: Duke University

  • Proctor S (1996) Prelude to the New Florida, 1877-1919. The new history of Florida, 266–286

  • Reed MS (2008) Stakeholder participation for environmental management: a literature review. Biol Conserv 141:2417–2431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Save Flagler’s Beach (2011) Home Page [Online]. Available: http://saveflaglersbeach.com/ [Accessed June 17 2014]

  • Smith A, Stirling A, Berkhout F (2005) The governance of sustainable socio-technical transitions. Res Policy 34:1491–1510

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stronge WB (2008) The sunshine economy: an economic history of Florida since the Civil War. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, 368 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Swaney DP, Humborg C, Emeis K, Kannen A, Silvert W, Tett P, Pastres R, Solidoro C, Yamamuro M, Henocque Y (2012) Five critical questions of scale for the coastal zone. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 96:9–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • The Flagler Tribune (1925) Laying out route of ocean skirting road, The American Riviera. The Flagler Tribune, February 26

  • The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines (n.d.) Beach Stabilization [Online]. Available: http://psds.wcu.edu/publications/archived-publications/beach-stabilization/ [Accessed June 10, 2015]

  • Titus JG, Hudgens DE, Trescott DL, Craghan M, Nuckols WH, Hershner CH, Kassakian JM, Linn CJ, Merritt PG, Mccue TM, O’connell JF, Tanski J, Wang J (2009) State and local governments plan for development of most land vulnerable to rising sea level along the US Atlantic coast. Environ Res Lett 4:044008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Census Bureau (1995) Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 [Online]. Available: https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/fl190090.txt [Accessed June 17 2014]

  • U.S. Census Bureau (2012) Intercensal Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2010 [Online]. Available: https://www.census.gov/popest/data/intercensal/county/CO-EST00INT-01.html [Accessed June 17 2014]

  • U.S. Weather Bureau (1964) Hurricane Dora- August 28-September 16, 1964- Preliminary Report with Advisories and Bulletins Issued. U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Weather Bureau

  • USACOE (2012) Decision Document: Nationwide Permit 3 [Online]. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Available: http://www.usace.army.mil/Portals/2/docs/civilworks/nwp/2012/NWP_03_2012.pdf [Accessed June 16 2014]

  • USACOE (2014) Flagler County, Florida Hurricane and Storm Damage Reduction Project- Draft Integrated Feasibility Study and Environmental Assessment. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers- Jacksonville District

  • USDOT (2013) Public Involvement Policy: Transportation Project Development and NEPA [Online]. U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. Available: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/public_involvement/archive/legislation/pi_pol.cfm [Accessed June 17 2014]

  • USDOT (n.d.) Fact Sheets on Highway Provisions: Surface Transportation Program (STP) [Online]. U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Adminstration. Available: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/factsheets/stp.htm [Accessed June 16 2014]

  • USFWS (2009) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Biological Opinion for the proposed FDOT State Road A1A Shoreline Stabalization Project. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

  • USFWS (2013) Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Designation of Critical Habitat for the Northwest Atlantic Ocean Distinct Population Segment of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta). Federal Register. National Archives and Records Administration and U.S. Department of the Interior

  • USFWS (2014) Endangered Species Glossary: Take [Online]. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Available: http://www.fws.gov/Midwest/Endangered/glossary/index.html [Accessed June 16 2014]

  • Visit Florida (2014) 2013-2014 Annual Report. [Online]. Available: http://visitflorida.org/media/7939/yearinreview2014.pdf [Accessed June 08 2015]

  • Volusia Flagler Turtle Patrol (2013) Home Page [Online]. Available: http://www.turtlepatrol.com/ [Accessed June 16 2014]

  • Wiek A, Ness B, Schweizer-Ries P, Brand FS, Farioli F (2012) From complex systems analysis to transformational change: a comparative appraisal of sustainability science projects. Sustain Sci 7:5–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson CPW (1998) A new beginning: a picturesque history of Flagler Beach, Florida, Catherine P. Wickline Wilson (Self Published).

  • Wilson MA, Costanza R, Boumans R, Liu S (2005) Integrated assessment and valuation of ecosystem goods and services provided by coastal systems. The intertidal ecosystem: the value of Ireland’s shores. Royal Irish Academy, 1–24

  • Yiftachel O, Huxley M (2000) Debating dominence and relevance: notes on the ‘communicative turn’ in planning theory. Int J Urban Reg Res 24:907–913

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

I gratefully acknowledge the support from the Swedish Research Council FORMAS and the LUCID research school for funding this research. Additional funding for fieldwork was obtained from the Lund University Margit Stiernswärd’s Fund for Environmental Field Research. I appreciate thoughtful comments provided by the anonymous reviewers. A special thanks to the Flagler County Historical Society and the Flagler Beach Historical Museum for their help in acquiring supporting materials. Also big thanks to Anne Jerneck and participants in the ARALIG network for their comments on earlier versions of this paper.

Conflict of interest

The author declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lund University Center of Excellence for Integration of the Social and Natural Dimensions of Sustainability (LUCID), Lund University, Biskopsgatan 5, P.O. Box 170, SE-221 00, Lund, Sweden

    Chad Stephen Boda

Authors
  1. Chad Stephen Boda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chad Stephen Boda.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Boda, C.S. Power and rationality in coastal planning: effects on participation and possibility in the management of barrier island dunes in Flagler Beach, Florida, U.S.A. J Coast Conserv 19, 561–576 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-015-0407-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-015-0407-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation