Public participation in urban development projects : a German perspective
Friesecke, Frank
Mass protests against the urban development and transport project Stuttgart 211. Urban projects delayed for years due to objections of citizens concerned. Severe resistance against the projected reduction of urban development grants. Does the Federal Republic of Germany still have to practice the participation of the public in urban planning processes? Or is it a by-product of a functioning democracy that planning processes are accompanied with protests, take longer and are more cost-intensive than in countries without extensive participation rights? The following article tries to respond adequately to this question by analysing, in the first instance, what public participation means and how the participation of the general public is laid down in German law (legally binding and non-binding public participation). Using the experience of different urban development projects, the article demonstrates that especially the non-formalised and non-binding procedures increase public acceptance and the quality of the planning process. This relatively unpractised mode of communication should not only be implemented in cases of misunderstandings and failures, but also at an early stage of planning.
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