Democracy in the Risk Society? Learning from the New Politics of Mobility in Munich
In: Environmental politics, Band 8, Heft 3, S. 1-23
ISSN: 0964-4016
The assumption that more democratic procedures will help bring about a more sustainable organization of society is questioned, using the case of transport policy in Munich, Germany, thereby addressing how the key issue of mobility is handled institutionally in a risk society. The importance of new democratic, participatory practices is illuminated, as is the prominent role of new practices on a "corporatist" footing. The new democratic practices are shown to be less effective then their neocorporatist counterparts in influencing strategic decisions that bring about more sustainable mobility, as well as related processes of design of new technologies for sustainable mobility. It is suggested that models of democratic decision making in the risk society should come to terms with the fact that new interactive policy-making practices come in different types. It is the interrelationship between these practices that needs further investigation & conceptualization. 61 References. Adapted from the source document.