Citizen participation

Lately, the legitimacy of collectively binding rules and planning in regard to large-scale projects of development of urban infrastructure has increasingly been questioned in Germany. A current example is the controversy around so-called “Stuttgart21“, which is the rebuilding of the main station of the capital city of the Land of Baden-Württemberg from a dead-end station to an underground through station. After the dictum of the intermediator who facilitated a process of joint fact-finding the question of how to involve citizens effectively, efficiently and fair in the planning of future large-scale infrastructure projects has come to the fore. In order to address this question, DIALOGIK organises a one-day dialogue event commissioned by the Government of the Land of Baden-Württemberg. The objective of this event is to draw lessons from the „Stuttgart21“ fierce controversy and to provide the Baden-Württemberg Government with suggestions on how to improve communication and participation in future large-scale projects. More than 30 internationally acknowledged experts from the fields of communication, participation and planning law will contribute to the event. The Land Government will be represented by the Minister of the Interior Heribert Rech and the Minister of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport Tanja Gönner. Minister Tanja Gönner will comment on the suggestions from the expert workshops at the event.