Building High Speed Lines in Democratic Nations
Confronting the Challenges Presented by a Democratic Society
Speech, Rudin Center’s for Transportation Policy and Management’s, New York, 16.06.2010
Planning should not only consider construction and interconnectivity however. Frank Zschoche, Managing Director at Civity Management Consultants in Hamburg, Germany noted the costs of managing “the democratic issue” – from right of way purchasing and property disputes, to noise and environmental concerns – in upfront planning processes as having great effect on program budgets. Herr Zschoche cited the costs of various intercity HSR developments in Europe as varying by more than a factor of five, on a per kilometer basis, due to differing public participation experiences. As heavy infrastructure, HSR requires appropriate planning for addressing the challenges of development within a democratic society.