Urban Planning and Citizen Participation : Lessons from Tunisia’s Municipal Reforms

This paper analyzes the evolution of citizen participation in urban planning in Tunisia following the 2011 revolution, with a focus on participatory budgeting (PB) as a transformative governance tool. Drawing on municipal case studies—including Carthage’s Annual Investment Plan—the study explores how PB fosters inclusive decision-making, enhances municipal autonomy, and institutionalizes bottom-up planning practices. Tunisia’s hybrid model, inspired by German participatory frameworks, illustrates the interplay between grassroots mobilization and state-led democratization. The paper identifies key challenges to scaling participatory methodologies, including uneven implementation, limited citizen awareness, and institutional inertia. It concludes by proposing strategic pathways for embedding participatory urbanism in Tunisia’s planning infrastructure and offers comparative insights for Global South cities pursuing democratic urban reform.