- Integration and Exclusion, Active Citizenship and Neighbourhood Change and Development   114 kb by    Russell, Paula & Scott, Mark & Redmond, Declan | paula.russell@ucd.ie    Short Outline The paper explores the integrative and exclusionary role of community and residents’ associations in Dublin (Republic of Ireland) and their interaction with the planning system. Abstract In the recent past there has been an increasing emphasis on active citizenship and the development of civil society as a means of dealing with some of the problems that forces of global change have caused in cities and neighbourhoods in advanced capitalist societies. Within this context residents’ associations are one of the few ways in which individuals come together in their neighbourhoods, to organize and act collectively. This paper draws on an empirical study of a sample of community and residents’ associations in Dublin, Ireland, which has explored the nature of these groups, their organisation and their activities. The research shows that community and residents’ associations can act as an integrative force in local neighbourhoods, building social capital and positively developing a sense of community. The research also reveals that these groups can act in an exclusionary manner engaging in NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) activities to defend their locales from what they perceive as unwanted development or to exclude others. The planning system is often the stage on which these positive and negative neighbourhood dramas are played out. The research illustrates the variety of ways in which residents’ associations interact with the planning system, either through formal participation and legal channels or through engaging in more direct and informal action and opposition. The paper also outlines the extent to which the market driven nature of planning in Dublin has prompted action and reaction from community and residents’ groups and has led to disillusionment with the planning process. Keywords Residents' Associations, NIMBY, Social Capital Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2006: Cities between Integration and Disintegration   Click to open the full paper as pdf document   Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper