Mediation als Instrument der frühen Öffentlichkeitsbeteiligung gem. § 25 Abs. 3 VwVfG

Early public participation according to par. 25, sect. 3 of the German Administrative Procedure Act was introduced to create broader acceptance of public planning decisions. In order to be effective, any public participation procedure has to establish trust and confidence in public decision-making. This study analyses the trust relationship between citizens and public authorities within the limits of German constitutional law, and evaluates mediation as an instrument of early public participation. The empirical test the study conducts provides evidence that face-to-face communication is key. Mediation proves to be an effective procedure for building trust and confidence in public planning decisions.