Modeling Boundaries of Concern among Conflicting Stakeholders

Abstract

When public and private stakeholders gather to address a shared concern, they implicitly or explicitly bound the problem in geographic space. Implicit bounding involves identifying the problem and then considering the spatial ramifications. Explicit bounding may be invoked by governing agencies of a metropolitan region. These implicit or explicit boundaries of concern are evident in recent discourse about the post-Katrina impact on communities in the New Orleans area. Analysis of such discourse reveals differences of understanding that result from individual experience as well as social influences. Individual affiliations with social institutions such as nonprofits, local governments, industry, and agriculture implicitly shape the boundaries of concern for shared land and water resources allocated in regional infrastructure decisions.