Co-planning in local sustainability strategies: Fostering civil society engagement for public value co-creation

The literature underscores the potential of co-planning in advancing sustainable development through collaborative efforts among various stakeholders (SDG 17), notably emphasising civil society and public administration's role in the co-creation of public value. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the adoption and extent of co-planning tools utilised by local public administrations in the definition of sustainability policies, specifically targeting civil society, subdivided into three categories (civil society representatives, individual citizens and young people). The analysis, drawn from secondary sources within the sample, delves into the practices implemented by each of the 14 Italian metropolitan cities. This examination aims to assess the current state of co-planning and establish similarities and differences concerning the levels of co-planning found in existing literature. Five distinct types of activities adopted by the sample have been identified, showcasing noteworthy variations in the intensity of co-planning practices concerning individuals (citizens and young people) compared to the level addressing collective representation. This research serves as a potential precursor to encourage public administrations to expand into further forms of co-creation, such as co-production, even in the later stages of sustainable development policies. Its findings aim to fortify the relationship between local institutions and civil society, fostering more robust engagement and collaboration.