Site Fights

Divisive Facilities and Civil Society in Japan and the West

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, Regional Planning
Cover of the book Site Fights by Daniel P. Aldrich, Cornell University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Daniel P. Aldrich ISBN: 9780801457012
Publisher: Cornell University Press Publication: December 15, 2009
Imprint: Cornell University Press Language: English
Author: Daniel P. Aldrich
ISBN: 9780801457012
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Publication: December 15, 2009
Imprint: Cornell University Press
Language: English

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. Policymakers must decide not only where to locate often unwanted projects but also what methods to use when interacting with opposition groups. In Site Fights, Daniel P. Aldrich gathers quantitative evidence from close to five hundred 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 the modern state, such as land expropriation and police repression. Only under pressure from civil society do policymakers move toward financial incentives and public relations campaigns. Through fieldwork and interviews with bureaucrats and activists, Aldrich illustrates these dynamics with case studies from Japan, France, and the United States. The incidents highlighted in Site Fights stress the importance of developing engaged civil society even in the absence of crisis, thereby making communities both less attractive to planners of controversial projects and more effective at resisting future threats.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

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. Policymakers must decide not only where to locate often unwanted projects but also what methods to use when interacting with opposition groups. In Site Fights, Daniel P. Aldrich gathers quantitative evidence from close to five hundred 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 the modern state, such as land expropriation and police repression. Only under pressure from civil society do policymakers move toward financial incentives and public relations campaigns. Through fieldwork and interviews with bureaucrats and activists, Aldrich illustrates these dynamics with case studies from Japan, France, and the United States. The incidents highlighted in Site Fights stress the importance of developing engaged civil society even in the absence of crisis, thereby making communities both less attractive to planners of controversial projects and more effective at resisting future threats.

More books from Cornell University Press

Cover of the book Fighting for Rights by Daniel P. Aldrich
Cover of the book Privatizing China by Daniel P. Aldrich
Cover of the book Spiritual Economies by Daniel P. Aldrich
Cover of the book The End of the West? by Daniel P. Aldrich
Cover of the book Women and Aristocratic Culture in the Carolingian World by Daniel P. Aldrich
Cover of the book Representing the Holocaust by Daniel P. Aldrich
Cover of the book Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice by Daniel P. Aldrich
Cover of the book Inadvertent Escalation by Daniel P. Aldrich
Cover of the book Peacebuilding in Practice by Daniel P. Aldrich
Cover of the book Capitalism without Democracy by Daniel P. Aldrich
Cover of the book Order at the Bazaar by Daniel P. Aldrich
Cover of the book Catholics in the American Century by Daniel P. Aldrich
Cover of the book Talking about Machines by Daniel P. Aldrich
Cover of the book On Duties by Daniel P. Aldrich
Cover of the book Living Weapons by Daniel P. Aldrich
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy