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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Location, Location, Location: Selecting Sites For Controversial Facilities, Daniel P. Aldrich
Location, Location, Location: Selecting Sites For Controversial Facilities, Daniel P. Aldrich
Daniel P Aldrich
While a large literature exists on the siting of controversial facilities, few theories about spatial location have been tested on large samples. Using a new dataset from Japan, this paper demonstrates that state agencies choose localities judged weakest in local civil society as host communities for controversial projects. In some cases, powerful politicians deliberately seek to have facilities such as nuclear power plants, dams, and airports placed in their home constituency. This paper then explores new territory: how demographic, political, and civil society factors impact the outcomes of siting attempts. It finds that the strength of local civil society impacts …
Site Fights: Divisive Facilities And Civil Society In Japan And The West, Daniel Aldrich
Site Fights: Divisive Facilities And Civil Society In Japan And The West, Daniel Aldrich
Daniel P Aldrich
One of the most vexing problems for governments is building controversial facilities that serve the needs of all citizens but have adverse consequences for host communities. Policy makers must decide not only where to locate often unwanted projects, but also what methods to use when interacting with opposition groups. In Site Fights, I gather quantitative evidence from close to 500 municipalities across Japan to show that planners deliberately seek out acquiescent and unorganized communities for such facilities in order to minimize conflict. When protests arise over nuclear power plants, dams, and airports, agencies regularly rely on the coercive powers of …