How public participation could improve public decisions on rail investments?

Resumen. Traditional cost/benefit analysis does not explicitly consider public participation in its computation. It neglects that stakeholders should be considered during the process of project evaluation. In this paper the costs and benefits of participatory activity are measured with the aim of analysing whether this economic measurement provides a way forward in project evaluation. Through the case study of the high speed rail line between Lyon and Turin, it is demonstrated that public participation should move forward as a field.