All aboard? A decision-making instrument for the future of the Brussels North-South railway connection

Abstract

Administrative complexity is a major challenge in the planning of large-scale projects in Brussels. For want of an overarching authority, multiple actors with different functions or powers have to make and implement a concerted decision. The COMCA method is used to determine the support for multi-actor, multi-level projects and thus to assist policy makers in their decisions. The various players are classified according to their role in the project. Project alternatives are assessed on criteria established by each of the actors. The desirability of each alternative is evaluated for each actor, but also for every group of actors responsible for a specific task in the project. This article describes how the method was applied as a participatory component in a study on infrastructural alternatives for the Brussels North-South rail link. Variants allowing for new rail links appear to be more promising for further study than the frequently examined doubling variants of the current North-South axis. However, the purpose of the application at this stage is not to offer a final solution, but to design an evaluation and consultation structure that provides input for the political decision-making process.