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This is the published version of a paper published in European Planning Studies.
Citation for the original published paper (version of record):
Bjärstig, T., Thellbro, C., Stjernström, O., Svensson, J., Sandström, C. et al. (2018) Between protocol and reality: Swedish municipal comprehensive planning.
European Planning Studies, 26(1): 35-54
https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2017.1365819
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Between protocol and reality – Swedish municipal comprehensive planning
Therese Bjärstig
a, Camilla Thellbro
b, Olof Stjernström
c, Johan Svensson
d, Camilla Sandström
a, Per Sandström
band Anna Zachrisson
aa
Department of Political Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden;
bDepartment of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, Umeå, Sweden;
cDepartment of Geography and Economic History, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden;
dDepartment of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, Umeå, Sweden
ABSTRACT
Spatial planning using a landscape approach has been recognized as being essential for reconciling ecological, cultural and socio- economic dimensions in sustainable development (SuD). Although embraced as a concept, there is a lack of planning tools capable of incorporating multi-level, multifunctional and multi-sectoral perspectives, especially in a rural context. The departure point in this paper is the legal requirements for municipal comprehensive planning (MCP) in Sweden and an e-mail survey about incentives, stakeholder involvement, policy integration and implementation in MCP in all 15 Swedish mountain municipalities. The purpose of this explorative study is to examine whether MCP could be a tool in planning for SuD. Results indicate a general lack of resources and a low status of MCP that affect, and even limit, stakeholder involvement, policy integration and implementation. However, legal requirements for MCP are targeted at SuD, and municipal personnel responsible for planning appreciate the potential of MCP. Therefore, there is potential to develop the MCP into an effective landscape planning tool. To accomplish this, the status of an active planning process has to be raised, the mandate of the local planning agency has to be secured, and residents and land users have to be involved throughout the planning process.
ARTICLE HISTORY Received 25 April 2017 Revised 9 July 2017 Accepted 3 August 2017
KEYWORDS Landscape planning;
municipal comprehensive planning; collaborative planning; innovative planning; rural context
Introduction
Public sector-led spatial planning is considered important in the re-scaling of international and national issues and objectives to the local level (Albrechts, 2004), but planning could also depart from the local/regional arena. Regardless of whether the perspective taken is top-down or bottom-up, there is a need for spatial coordination and consideration of the landscape in all kinds of land use. The need to involve local, practical examples to secure relevance has been suggested by, for example, Koschke et al. (2014) for the
© 2017 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
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