Finally, some progress on legislation – the PlanSiG has come into force

Legally required participation and consultation formats, such as public hearings during planning approval procedures, can no longer take place as in-person events. To avoid delaying approval procedures for major construction projects, policymakers have reacted swiftly. The Planning Security Act (PlanSiG) came into force at the end of May 2020. The “Act to Ensure Proper Planning and Approval Procedures during the Covid-19 Pandemic” is intended to ensure that approval procedures and public participation can continue despite infection control requirements. Authorities conducting the procedures can now organise the legally prescribed participation formats as online consultations:

• Publication on the internet now suffices as a public display of planning documents.
• Local public notices may be replaced by an online announcement. This means that the display of documents (often an entire shelf of folders full of expert reports) in town halls, district offices or other authorities is no longer required.
• Anyone wishing to submit written objections or comments can now do so electronically, i.e. by email.
• A consultation meeting may be held as a telephone or video conference.

Email instead of letters – a major breakthrough?

The swift implementation of these legal changes is a positive sign. The fact that the shift towards more online dialogue only came about under the pressure of a pandemic and currently has the status of a transitional arrangement is evidence of outdated procedures within the administrative system. Of course, when it comes to public participation in the spirit of accessibility, we must also consider those who do not have access to the internet. Yet for most citizens, writing letters and sifting through piles of paper at the town hall seem like relics from another era. A shift towards the ‘online first’ principle is long overdue in public administration and public participation. Our view: the new possibilities created by the PlanSiG must not remain a temporary solution and must be established in the long term.

Online formats everywhere – practise, practise, practise

Whether it’s consultation meetings or voluntary participation formats organised by project developers: over the past few months, online formats have been tested more intensively than ever before and subjected to numerous trials. However, a routine similar to that found in on-site events at most project developers has not yet been established. Various formats and online tools are being and have been tried out, and the market for these providers is currently developing at a rapid pace. Communicators, construction project managers, politicians and citizens are getting used to the situation of speaking to a larger audience via webcam. More and more often, people are asking whether there isn’t a more professional backdrop for video conferences than the ironing room at home. The experience that all those involved are now gaining with web-based events will remain useful even beyond the pandemic. One thing is certain: online formats will remain the norm even after the pandemic.

Sometimes irreplaceable: a chat at the buffet

Precisely because so much is currently taking place online, the value of face-to-face encounters at in-person events is becoming all the more apparent. Not everything that an in-person event offers can be replaced by an online format. A matter-of-fact exchange of information works just as well in a video conference. But the interesting encounters and the moments that stick in the memory – let’s be honest – often happen over coffee and a buttered pretzel at the buffet.

It was only really when we in the Public Communication Team had just closed our laptops in our home offices after countless video-conference public dialogues that we truly realised just how valuable and important emotions are in planning discussions and public forums. How can we foster trust between participants during online dialogue events? What can we, as facilitators, do to capture people’s emotions and the atmosphere in the virtual space? Questions like these are occupying us communicators much more intensely than before in these times.

“New normal”? Please, in moderation!

After six months of intensive learning and trial and error, everyone involved has made significant progress – both in terms of the framework for online consultation (PlanSiG) and our personal experiences. Our understanding of what works online and which discussions we would prefer to hold in person once we are allowed to do so again is becoming clearer. The coronavirus pandemic has given us a boost as we embarked on this learning process. But even after six months, we are still a long way from reaching a “new normal” when it comes to online dialogue. The digitisation of communication channels in planning permission procedures through the PlanSiG was long overdue. However, we hope that online formats do not become the norm in public participation. In a heated debate about construction projects, it is both permissible and desirable to argue and wrestle face to face from time to time. We prefer to greet our fellow citizens with a genuine smile and like to say goodbye with a warm handshake.