Mega projects between protests and acceptance. The significance of participation procedures. Comparative analysis of Hamburgs application for the Olympic Games 2024 and the Expo 2015 in Milan

Mega projects are presently in the focus of public attention. The related planning processes are increasingly under legitimacy pressure. Through the growing criticism of the population and the requirement of participation and involvement, an attention is directed to the processes regarding the preparation of such projects. The present master thesis deals with the significance of participation procedures for mega projects - with regard to the implementation, project success and citizen acceptance. Primarily, participation principles and forms in general, as well as the implementation of participation procedures in mega projects in Germany and in Italy are outlined. For this purpose the participation proceedings and deficits of Hamburg’s application for the Olympic Games 2024 and of the Expo 2015 in Milan will be analysed. Afterwards, these findings will be used for the establishment of essential milestones and measures that should be undertaken within a mega project’s planning procedure in order to maximize acceptance and success of the project. The developed action alternatives are based on the identified deficits and challenges of the example procedures and shall provide fruitful suggestions for upfront improvements of future mega project planning proceedings. The basis of this master thesis is built by technical literature and conducted interviews with experts from Germany and Italy related to the topic, with the aim of interdisciplinary gain of knowledge.