Testing Fairness Principles for Public Environmental Infrastructure Decisions

Abstract Public infrastructure decisions affect many stakeholders with various benefits and costs. For public decisions, it is crucial that decision-making processes outcomes are fair. Fairness concepts have rarely been explored in planning. We close this gap for a global issue of growing importance: replacing sewer-based, centralized by decentralized wastewater systems. empirically study fairness principles policy-relevant context, identify possible influencing factors representative online survey 472 Swiss German residents. In transition phase, innovative, pilot systems installed households. designed two vignettes context to test the adhesion distributive justice—equality, equity, need—at individual community levels. A third vignette tests procedural justice increasing fulfilment fair process criteria. The results confirm our hypotheses: equity perceived as fairer than equality at collective Contrary expectations literature, need even equity. Procedural e.g., majority (92%) respondents deems policy includes them decision-making. Only few demographic explanatory significantly correlated respondents’ perceptions. Although unexpected, positive, implying introducing technology can be entire population independent characteristics individuals. Generally, literature: perceptions depend on circumstances. Hence, they should elicited exact application able enter negotiation provide concrete advice decision makers.