Verteilungskonflikte im Straßenraum - Gerechtigkeits- und Fairnessvorstellungen konkurrierender Interessengruppen ; Conflicts in distributing public space in residential areas. Ideas of justice and fairness held by competing pressure interest groups

Abstract

Conflicts in distributing public space in residential areas. Ideas of justice and fairness held by competing pressure interest groups.Often the design and arrangement of public spaces within residential areas is decided upon top-down usually by politicians. The involved city and traffic planners often fail to anticipate social, ecological and economical consequences. In order to be accepted city and traffic planning needs the participation of citizens. Top-down decision making in these areas of public interest often violates ideas of justice and fairness held by citizens. Therefore results of public space distribution in residential areas e.g. concerning car and bicycle drivers are either hesitantly or not at all implemented. The empirical part of this doctoral thesis focuses on an analysis of ideas of justice and fairness held by different user groups (e.g. pedestrians, car and bicycle drivers) and different groups of actors (e.g. citizens, enterprises, city and traffic planners of government and non-government organizations). A new investigation method was developed. A physical model (with miniature houses made of wood, playmobil figures, wooden cars, pedestrians, front yards, road signs etc.) showing a street within a residential area was used for group discussions among citizens about ideas of justice and fairness concerning distribution conflicts. Starting point of the investigation was the concept of sustainable development. The theoretical part of this doctoral thesis is interdisciplinary. It contains results of environmental research from the social sciences which are associated with theories of justice and fairness. Furthermore psychological, political-philosophical and sociological concepts of justice and fairness are presented.