Rotterdam’s successful lobbying resulted in four massive port expansions: Botlek, Europoort and Maasvlakte 1 between the 1950s and 1970s, and Maasvlakte 2 in 2008-2012. At times these projects encountered opposition; they were expensive and would have considerable impact on the liveability in the port area. Over the decades, the Rotterdam Port Management developed a strong lobby to overcome public and political opposition and maintain support for port expansion. Dirk Koppenol shows, by comparing the 15-year decision-making process of Maasvlakte 2 to the earlier port expansions, how the Rotterdam Lobby functioned, but most of all, why and under which circumstances this lobby for port expansion was successful.

Lobby for Land is an exciting and insightful exploration of the forces that have driven the Rotterdam lobby for port expansion, changed the public and political attitude towards port development and determined the success of port expansion decision-making processes. It is a must-read for anyone interested in decision-making processes surrounding large-scale infrastructural projects.