Current urban development policy formulates the idea to reach a positive development of structurally weak quarters by a more intensified participation of private sctors in collective approaches. In view of the missing of empirical data on voluntary action by private proprietors in the urban development, the PhD thesis investigates which factors determine the establishment of Local Property Owner Partnership (LoPOPs) and characterize their institutional structure. A comparative case study design with LoPOPs in Dortmund, Essen and Görlitz was chosen. The results were formulated as hypotheses.