A comprehensive scoping review reveals that participatory practices are central to the success of multi-actor collaboration in landscape planning and governance. This scoping review shows that a wide range of different participatory tools exists to support collaboration. However, the objectives, application and effectiveness of participatory tools and practices vary considerably across different contexts and phases of the collaborative processes.
Led by Professor Irmeli Mustalahti at the University of Eastern Finland and conducted in collaboration with an international team of researchers, the study examines participatory and consultation practices in multi-actor networks seeking to foster collaborative landscape planning and governance processes. The study was published in the prestigious journal Landscape and Urban Planning.
“The study is a scoping review that compiles and analyses existing international research literature on participatory practices and multi-actor collaboration. The review places particular emphasis on integrated landscape approaches that seek to reconcile ecological, social, economic and cultural objectives,” says Doctoral Researcher Ida Herdieckerhoff (University of Eastern Finland), who coordinated the scoping review.
“The review analyses what kinds of participatory and collaborative approaches have been used in collaborative land management projects and landscape planning to strengthen interaction and knowledge co-creation, and to build shared understanding and support decision-making and landscape governance,” Professor Mustalahti explains.
The study provides an overview of the current state of participatory practices and helps to identify key trends in both research and practical applications. The review supports researchers, planners, project implementers and decision-makers in selecting and developing appropriate participatory practices and collaborative approaches. It also promotes sustainable and equitable land use and governance at the landscape level.
“The use of participatory practices in landscape planning requires sufficient resources and administrative support to ensure equitable participation and the use of the co-created knowledge in decision-making,” Doctoral Researcher Anna Mustonen (University of Eastern Finland) emphasises.
“The study was carried out through extensive international collaboration, reinforcing the role of interdisciplinary and socially impactful research on sustainability and environmental research in the social sciences,” says Rebecca McLain, Research Program Director at Portland State University’s National Policy Consensus Center.
Research article:
Mustalahti, I., Herdieckerhoff, I., McLain, R., Mustonen, A., Ramdani, R., Agustiyara, A., Dobrynin, D., Klenk, N., Stratton, G., Castillo, O. M., Reyes, S. R., Nyanda, S. S., Tumaini, U., Maro, H. A. & Lwoga, T. E. (2026). A scoping review of participatory tools and practices in collaborative processes: Towards multi-actor collaboration in integrated landscape approaches. Landscape and Urban Planning, 272, 105664.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2026.105664.