Drivers of public inter-organizational collaboration in area-oriented transport infrastructure planning: A comparative analysis of four Dutch cases

Aging transport infrastructures in Western countries require redevelopment to meet future demands. Literature suggests that traditional planning is inadequate for redevelopment. This has led to the rise of area-oriented infrastructure planning, where multiple organizations collaborate. While existing studies acknowledge the importance of inter-organizational collaboration in area-oriented planning, they do not clarify whether and how specific drivers influence the collaborative process. This article therefore addresses the following research question: What are key drivers of public inter-organizational collaboration, and how do these drivers impact the collaborative process in area-oriented infrastructure planning? Based on existing literature we examined four key drivers: commitment to process, incentives to collaborate, clear ground rules, resources and power. The collaborative process was defined in terms of shared understanding, trust building, and leadership. Four cases were selected which vary regarding collaborative process and collective outcomes. Data consists of 29 interviews between October 2024 and February 2025, and 37 documents. Two rounds of coding facilitated within-case and cross-case analyses. Our results indicate that commitment to process directly enhances trust building, while clear ground rules strengthen shared understanding. Incentives to collaborate, and resources and power affect commitment to process, suggesting an indirect influence on trust building. Finally, resources and power also shape shared understanding. This study contributes to theory and practice by offering insights into the drivers that impact the collaborative process, and how these drivers mutually interact. • This study gains insights into the drivers that impact the collaborative process, and how these drivers mutually interact. • Commitment to process impact trust building. • Clear ground rules and resources and power impact shared understanding. • Incentives to collaborate and resources and power influence commitment to process, suggesting an indirect effect on trust building.