URBAN PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL LICENSING – THE USE OF AI AS A MEDIATOR IN “DECISION ECOLOGIES” DISTRIBUTED ACROSS DATA

Abstract

Contemporary urban planning faces the challenge of integrating environmental, social, and economic variables in contexts of increasing complexity and conflicting interests. Environmental licensing, in turn, has become one of the main regulatory instruments mediating the relationship between land use and ecological preservation, demanding processes that are increasingly transparent, participatory, and technically qualified. In this context, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies emerge as tools capable of acting as mediators in “decision ecologies,” distributing analysis across multiple data sources, simulated scenarios, and stakeholder perspectives. More than simply automating steps, AI can enhance processes of negotiation and impact visualization, expanding the ability of public managers, experts, and communities to understand and intervene in the dilemmas of urban development. The object of study of this article is the use of artificial intelligence as a mediator in decision-making processes related to urban planning and environmental licensing, understanding AI not as a substitute for human deliberation, but as an agent articulating different flows of information. The research seeks to understand to what extent AI can foster distributed governance practices, aligning decision-making with principles of sustainability, environmental justice, and democratic participation. The guiding research question is: how can artificial intelligence operate as a mediator in distributed decision ecologies, enhancing transparency, effectiveness, and legitimacy in urban planning and environmental licensing processes? Theoretically, we draw on the works of Russell and Norvig (1995; 2002; 2010), Derrible (2019; 2025), Mayer-Schönberger and Cukier (2014), Yigitcanlar (2024), Hu and Gao (2023), Bostrom (2014), Floridi (2013; 2019), Kitchin (2014; 2021), Zuboff (2019), Kabir et al. (2021), Hidayat and Satwiko (2021), Brynjolfsson and McAfee (2014; 2017), among others. The research is qualitative in nature (Minayo, 2008), bibliographic and descriptive (Gil, 2008), and follows a comprehensive analytical approach (Weber, 1949). The findings show that artificial intelligence, when used as a mediator in urban planning and environmental licensing, enhances transparency by organizing and making data accessible, increases effectiveness by enabling predictive simulations and real-time analysis, and strengthens legitimacy by including multiple social actors in the decision-making process. It was observed that obstacles such as costs, data quality, and legal frameworks can be overcome through participatory governance, technical capacity building, and appropriate regulatory frameworks. Overall, AI emerges not only as a technological resource but also as an instrument of environmental justice, sustainability, and democratization of information.