Stakeholder Dynamics in Land Development Projects

This paper analyzes stakeholder interactions in land disputes using an emerging spatial theory of property governance. In 2001, Nestlé, the largest food and beverage manufacturer in the world, attempted to construct a water-bottling plant in the rural town of McCloud, California. Although the local government and most of the residents supported the development, Nestlé withdrew from its development plans after 6 years of fierce opposition fueled by members of the neighboring communities, competing businesses, and national environmental groups. Analyzing the stakeholder dynamics in this case study demonstrates why the emergent theory of overlapping property rights is adding to scholarly understanding of how property disputes unfold.