The governance of megaproject developments: Lessons from the comparison of two contested infrastructure projects Alfred Burballa-Noria, B.Env.Sc., M.E.M. Faculty of Social Sciences of Ulster University Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy October 2018 I confirm that the word count of this thesis is less than 100,000 words excluding the title page, contents acknowledgements, abstract, abbreviations, footnotes, diagrams, maps, illustrations, tables, appendices, and references. i Table of Contents Declaration ..................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... v Abstract .......................................................................................................................... vi List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 1 1.1. Background and research perspective .............................................................................. 1 1.2. Research aims and contribution to knowledge ................................................................. 3 1.3. Research questions and design ......................................................................................... 6 1.4. Chapter Plan ..................................................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER 2. MEGAPROJECT DEVELOPMENTS: PROBLEMATIQUE AND POLITICS ..................................................................................................................... 11 2.1. Megaprojects: definitions, characteristics and paradigms .............................................. 11 2.1.1. Definitions and categorical breakdown .................................................................. 11 2.1.2. The changing character of megaprojects ................................................................ 14 2.2. Issues of concern in the megaproject planning and developing process ........................ 18 2.3. Popular “failures”: the “megaproject paradox” and the “survival of the unfittest” ....... 22 2.4. Megaproject developments: a contentious and political matter ..................................... 24 2.4.1. Critical approaches to contention associated with megaproject developments ...... 26 2.4.2. Focusing on the resilience of megaprojects plans .................................................. 31 2.5. Summary ........................................................................................................................ 32 CHAPTER 3. THE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE OF MEGAPROJECT DEVELOPMENTS: A FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS ......................................... 34 CHAPTER 4. THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ................................................. 62 4.1. The research purpose and key questions ........................................................................ 62 4.2. Research approach .......................................................................................................... 64 4.2.1. Inquiry perspective and reflexivity ......................................................................... 65 4.2.2. Activist knowledge ................................................................................................. 67 4.3. Research Design ............................................................................................................. 69 4.3.1. The comparative method and the case-oriented strategy ........................................ 70 4.3.2. Documentary methods ............................................................................................ 77 4.3.3. Interviews ................................................................................................................ 78 4.3.4. Participant observation ........................................................................................... 81 4.4. Analysis of findings ....................................................................................................... 83 4.5. Ethical issues .................................................................................................................. 85 4.6. Summary ........................................................................................................................ 86 CHAPTER 5. CASE STUDIES’ CONTEXTUALISATION ...................................... 88 5.1. Supranational context. The TEN-T initiative ................................................................. 89 5.2. National contexts ............................................................................................................ 95 ii 5.2.1. Italy ......................................................................................................................... 95 5.2.2. Spain ....................................................................................................................... 97 5.3. Regional contexts ......................................................................................................... 100 5.4. Megaproject characteristics, rationale and legal framework ........................................ 103 5.4.1. New Railway connection Lyon-Turin (NLTL) .................................................... 103 5.4.2. Basque Y ............................................................................................................... 105 5.5. Summary ...................................................................................................................... 106 CHAPTER 6. ACTORS’ COALITIONS AND CONFLICT DYNAMICS .............. 109 6.1. Megaproject coalitions ................................................................................................. 110 6.1.1. NLTL .................................................................................................................... 111 6.1.2. Basque Y coalition ................................................................................................ 115 6.2. Oppositions’ frames and rationales .............................................................................. 118 6.3. Anti-megaproject coalitions and conflict periodization ............................................... 121 6.3.1. The No Tav movement ......................................................................................... 122 6.3.2. The anti-HSR movement in the Basque Autonomous Community ...................... 126 6.4. Summary ...................................................................................................................... 128 CHAPTER 7. OPERATIONALISING MEGAPROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES: OVERARCHING FRAMEWORKS OF GOVERNANCE ............... 130 7.1. Adherence to the EU framework of TEN-T ................................................................. 131 7.2. High capacity (and speed) railways: aiming for competitiveness ................................ 135 7.3. New transport infrastructure to promote (economic) growth? ..................................... 139 7.4. Management and procurement initiatives accompanying megaprojects ...................... 145 7.5. Consensus (politics) on megaproject decision-making ................................................ 149 7.6. Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 159 CHAPTER 8. ASSESSING THE MEGAPROJECT’S COALITION FUNCTIONING .................................................................................................................................... 162 8.1. Further characterisation of the NLTL coalition ........................................................... 163 8.1.1. Coalition’s expansion ........................................................................................... 163 8.1.2. Additional discursive and practice elements ........................................................ 167 8.2. Further characterisation of the Basque Y-related coalition .......................................... 170 8.2.1. Further insights on the Basque Y coalition ........................................................... 170 8.2.2. Further discursive components ............................................................................. 177 8.3. Consolidation of the megaproject agenda .................................................................... 180 8.4. Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 191 CHAPTER 9. SECURING MEGAPROJECT DEVELOPMENTS BY UNDERMINING OPPOSITION MOVEMENTS ..................................................... 194 9.1. Significance of the state for megaproject agendas ....................................................... 194 9.2. Physical coercion as a response to oppositional direct action ...................................... 199 9.3. Undermining the opposition: organisational arrangements and repressive apparatus strategies .............................................................................................................................. 207 iii 9.4. Administrative and legal actions .................................................................................. 218 9.5. Further mechanisms of coercion and selectivity .........................................................