Project siting and the concept of community

Abstract

The siting of unwanted projects always involves conflict between developers and community interests. Yet the notion of community has been under-theorised in the siting literature. The concept of community is explored and related to the siting of risky projects. An analysis of eleven siting cases from around the world suggests that the environmental spillover effects from projects often transcend local administrative boundaries and that the relevant unit of analysis will often be much broader than a local community defined administratively. Understanding the origins and management of siting conflicts requires a broader definition of community, one which incorporates not only administrative communities at different levels of government, but also one which encapsulates different social, environmental and even virtual communities. Politics will determine which community boundaries matter in any given siting dispute.