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Målkonflikter i den gröna omställningen: Metodverktygslåda för kultur- och värdeskapande i planering

Denna rapport dokumenterar ett forsknings- och innovationsprojekt som genomfördes under tre år (2023–2025), finansierat av Vinnova. Projektet har resulterat i en multidimensionell metodverktygslåda samt ett värdebaserat konceptuellt ramverk för att stödja aktörer involverade i gröna industriella omställningsprocesser. Verktygslådan erbjuder metoder och angreppssätt för att omvandla målkonflikter till synergier. En samskapande process bidrar till att balansera aktörers olika utgångspunkter och synsätt på värdeskapande i samhället. Detta gäller både befintliga värden (såsom kulturarv, arkitektur och historia) och samhällseffekter som följer av omställningen.

Resultaten förväntas bidra till policyutveckling och olika praktiker inom samhällsbyggnadssektorn, stärka tidiga samråds- och tillståndsprocesser samt bidra till den gröna omställningen—särskilt för att uppnå en cirkulär ekonomi—genom att betona befintliga värden i samhället. Genom att kombinera tre kompletterande kunskapsperspektiv som forskargruppen representerar —arkitektur och planering, historia samt kulturarvsforskning—stärker projektet tvärvetenskaplig forskning och stödjer ett dynamiskt angreppssätt inom kulturarvsforskning. Genom att lyfta fram kulturarv som en resurs i klimatomställningen skapas förutsättningar för en gemensam diskurs mellan professioner inom samhällsbyggnadsområdet.

Projektet genomfördes av ett starkt konsortium bestående av 12 aktörer och inkluderade fallstudier i Borlänge, Älvsbyn och Kiruna—tre kommuner där storskaliga industriella satsningar planeras eller genomförs som en del av den gröna omställningen. Verktygslådan utvecklades genom en samskapande process med workshops och ett återkommande Aktörsforum, vilket främjade dynamiska diskussioner baserade på tre kompletterande kunskapsperspektiv: arkitektur och planering, historia samt kulturarvsforskning.

Goal conflicts in the green transition: A method toolbox for cultural value creation in planning

This report documents a research and innovation project conducted over three years (2023–2025), funded by Vinnova, the Swedish Innovation Agency. It has resulted in a multidimensional methodological toolbox and a value-based conceptual framework to support actors involved in green industrial transition processes. The toolbox offers methods and approaches for transforming conflicts into synergies. A co-creation process helps to balance actors’ differing starting points and approaches to value creation in society. This applies both to existing values (such as cultural heritage, architecture, and history) and to anticipated societal impacts arising from the transition.

The results are expected to inform policy and practice within the built environment sector; strengthen early consultation and permitting processes; and contribute to the green transition—particularly towards a circular economy—through an emphasis on existing values. Furthermore, by combining three complementary knowledge perspectives represented by the research team—architecture and planning; history; and cultural heritage research—the project strengthens interdisciplinary research and supports a dynamic approach to cultural heritage research. By highlighting cultural heritage as a resource in climate transition processes, it creates potential for a shared discourse across professions related to the built environment.

The project was carried out by a strong consortium of 12 partners and included case studies in Borlänge, Älvsbyn, and Kiruna—three municipalities where large-scale industrial initiatives are being planned or implemented as part of the green transition. The toolbox was developed through a co-creative process involving workshops and a recurring Actors’ Forum, fostering dynamic discussions based on three complementary knowledge perspectives: architecture and planning, history, and cultural heritage research.

Extended Summary

An engaging and enriching Vinnova-funded project involving thirteen actors has now been completed. All of us in the research team the research team will miss the collaboration with Borlänge, Älvsbyn and Kiruna — the three communities involved in the project as learning cases and empirical foci. These three locations are all cur­rently affected by large-scale industrial initiatives, planned or implemented as part of the green transition. We have explored the learning cases together with representa­tives from the municipalities, civil society, industry and various consultants through a co-creative process and meeting format that we call the Actors’ Forum.

We will also miss our research team’s own dynamic discussions, in comparing the learning cases from the three complementary knowledge perspectives that we represent: architecture and planning, history, and cultural heritage research. Our methods, concepts and practical experience differ, but over time we have identified several points of intersection between our disciplines and discourses. Further, we have come to recognize the necessity of working across disciplinary boundaries in order to clarify and understand both the complex contexts associated with develop­ments in northern Sweden, and the local socio-cultural and historical frameworks.

These industrial enterprises that we analyze occur in response to European de­mands for critical metals, minerals and fossil-free technologies relating to the green transition. The challenges are manifold, not least because such developments often occur in municipalities that have already initiated ambitious and goal-driven efforts towards climate-neutral cities and a circular economy. More recently, the need for capacity-building and preparedness for civil defense has further highlighted the need for self-sufficiency in critical raw materials. The selected learning cases host not only valuable minerals and metals, but also socio-cultural, industrial-historical, architectural and other values that must be considered and addressed from a cultural heritage and sustainability perspective. Our research shows that that the existing planning process and its legal frameworks were not designed to manage this level of complexity.

It has been important to interpret the learning cases against the backdrop of the layered development trajectories that have shaped these places over long periods — sometimes centuries — through decisions, pathways and interactions. One fruitful tool we have explored is to create historic timelines for the learning cases, indicating when key events occurred and when decisions were taken which proved decisive for future development. These timelines have also informed our work to characterize and problematize the goal conflicts which were raised by the actors who participated in the Actors’ Forum and workshops. We have used the timelines to identify what we term windows of opportunity — moments in history when alternative choices were possible and could have led to different outcomes.

At an early stage, we recognized that the project’s task was not to resolve conflicts; rather, it has aimed to support actors in identifying windows of opportunity that can be used to redefine goal conflicts. This can also be described as strengthening local capacity and preparedness among all those who, in various ways, are engaged in industrial developments in the north.

During the course of the project, we have observed that windows of opportu­nity can arise in many different contexts, and that situations initially perceived as intractable conflicts can, in some cases, develop into scenarios characterized by synergies — for example, when additional actors contribute new perspectives. By strengthening actors’ capacity to redefine goal conflicts within a co-creative process, we have seen how synergies can emerge, and how conflicts can be reframed and, in some cases, prevented.

The project’s objectives have been to:

• Integrate cultural and value-creation perspectives, as well as cultural values, into the planning process for attractive living environments in the north, and provide a multidimensional methodological toolbox to support actors and collaboration in the green transition; and to
• Prevent goal conflicts related to the green transition in the north by making bet­ter use of windows of opportunity within the spatial planning process, its policy and practice.

Regarding the latter, we have actively worked with the concept of prevention in or­der to achieve a more nuanced understanding of the transformation processes in which goal conflicts are always embedded. One of the project’s key strategic outcomes is therefore the clarification achieved through the value-based conceptual framework developed to support actors in collectively transforming conflicts into synergies. In summary, this outcome comprises three knowledge perspectives, five principles, and twenty operational tools.

The overall result is a multidimensional methodological toolbox and an associ­ated value-creation conceptual framework to support all those involved in estab­lishment processes. The toolbox contains tools to support the transformation of conflicts into synergies. A co-creative process helps to balance and, where possible, integrate actors’ differing starting points and approaches to value creation in society, whether they represent industry, municipalities, civil society or consultancy practice. This applies both to existing values (cultural heritage, architecture, history) and to anticipated societal impacts linked to the transition.

We note that actors’ different ways of valuing can be related to their differing drivers, tempos and expectations regarding the transition process itself. In addition, organizational challenges and hierarchies hinder shared understanding and collaboration. Furthermore, actors as individuals are grounded in different educational cultures and professional discourses, which means that concepts and practices necessarily vary. In consequence, we see the need for a shared vocabulary and conceptual calibration between actors from industry and others representing various practices and expertise in conservation and value creation within the built environment. This includes architects and planners, historians and building conservation specialists working within municipalities, in consultancy practice or civil society. At the same time, the professional practices and educational structures within the built environment sector also differ: they serve different purposes and reflect the increased fragmentation of planning and development processes. This runs counter to the present and future need for interdisciplinary collaboration to address the complex challenges posed by climate change and resource-efficient planning models such as the circular economy. One of the project’s conclusions is therefore the need for continued methodological and conceptual development to bring together built environment professions within a shared, expanded discourse that better harnesses existing so­cietal values. This is particularly timely as several educational programmes are currently undergoing renewal to meet the challenges of climate transition and circular economy. 

The methodological toolbox and value-based conceptual framework constitute a result at both a long-term strategic level and a short-term tactical, operational lev­el, complementing the formal spatial planning process, its policy and practice. The broader question of how informal and formal processes interact and could be better integrated has not been the focus of this project but is proposed as an area for further research. The framework presented here has strong potential for application within planning processes, for example by strengthening early consultation and permitting stages through multidisciplinary Actors’ Forums. 

Over the course of the project, the team has gradually refined and broadened its understanding of the issues encompassed by the concept of the green transition. Dur­ing the three-year period under review, the public debate has shifted, not least due to simplified media representations of the extensive development processes in northern Sweden. The transition undoubtedly constitutes a complex web of initiatives that generate goal conflicts. Not all are green. In recent months, Sweden has increased the pace of preparedness measures, which may contribute to further conflicts and chal­lenges for municipalities. At the same time, the EU has adopted the Critical Raw Ma­terials Act, highlighting the importance of Sweden’s mineral resources. Meanwhile, Swedish planning policy has shifted from a focus on sustainable and attractive living environments to a strategy centred on liveable and safe cities. 

During the project period, the high-profile battery producer Northvolt both es­tablished and dismantled its operations in Borlänge — and demolished a unique in­dustrial building of significant architectural value in the process, which the project nevertheless attempted to preserve by utilising a window of opportunity. This loss of Swedish cultural heritage from 1897 could likely have been avoided through better foresight and coordination. A more fruitful outcome is the close collaboration that the municipality has achieved with other industrial actors, such as SSAB, with strong potential to achieve the goal of a climate-neutral city by 2030.

In Älvsbyn, the company Boliden has been granted a concession for extracting a major copper deposit in Laver, near a former mine (1938–1946) where a model community was once built for employees and their families. Today, traces of this cul­tural environment remain, with potential for development as a visitor destination. Through the project, a fruitful dialogue was established between the municipality and industry, with expectations towards a constructive collaboration process in the complex setting where reindeer husbandry, environmental and cultural values inter­sect with industrial interests.

In Kiruna, mining activities continue to drive large parts of urban development. Land-use and ownership issues dominate ongoing debates, reflecting complex rela­tions between the state and municipality. In August 2025, Kiruna’s famous landmark church was relocated as part of the ongoing transformation, while an important part of the remaining built environment continues to be demolished. The project’s learn­ing case has focused on a limited cultural environment with remaining artefacts from the very first mining activity at the beginning of the 20th century, where substantial tensions however remain between industrial and heritage interests. At the close of the project in December 2025, a court ruling prevented the demolition of a culturally significant structure — an encouraging outcome, although the process continues.

We have had the privilege of working in Borlänge, Kiruna and Älvsbyn during the relatively short period of three years (2023–2025). Thanks to the strong engage­ment of our project partners, we have been able to take part in numerous meaningful and value-creating situations that form the basis of this report. We extend our sin­cere thanks to all who have contributed to the project.

Stockholm, Göteborg, Falun and Luleå, december 2025

The research team:

Charlie Gullström (Project Leader), charlie.gullstrom@sweco.se

Tony Svensson, tsn@du.se

Ulf Ranhagen, urn@du.se

Jennie Sjöholm, jennie.sjoholm@gu.se

Elin Bäckersten, elin.backersten@sweco.se

Anders Houltz, anders.houltz@naringslivshistoria.se

Benito Peix Geldart, benito.peixgeldart@naringslivshistoria.se

Dag Avango, dag.avango@ltu.se

En svensk planeringsmodell för hållbar stadsutveckling som utvecklats sedan tidigt 00-tal och som används i utvecklingsländer samt för att marknadsföra svensk planeringsmetodik och miljöteknik. Utvecklades i samklang med Uthållig kommun-metodiken.

Quite often, I receive questions from people within academia and the public and business sectors regarding SymbioCity – what it is, how the initial ideas about the concept emerged and how the ideas have been further developed and applied. Since the year 2002, I have been very much involved in the work to develop the SymbioCity Concept; indeed, it has been an important part of my research and practice for almost 25 years. Because there are written documents and reports about the concept, as well as publications, I will not describe it in full detail here; instead, I will simply refer to documents, reports, conferences, and so forth.

The initial idea to develop SymbioCity as a holistic approach emerged in the year 2002 within the Project Export Secretariat of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UD-PES), together with Business Sweden and other stakeholders. I was commissioned as a consultant/researcher with the task of developing a preliminary concept that could be presented at the World Summit of Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg in August 2002 as part of Swedish efforts to strengthen international collaboration in sustainable urban development. The presentation was successful and led to further development of the concept in parallel with presentations, workshops and sustainability reviews in many countries all over the world from 2002 to 2014.

The Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) found the concept relevant as a basis for institutional capacity building for spatial and urban planning in developing countries. In this booklet, the SymbioCity is briefly defined as a basis for an overview of the development process of the concept. Lessons learnt from three different tracks of development are summarised:

• the SymbioCity Concept – first labelled the Sustainable City Concept – as a business platform including urban planning commissions in developed and transition countries
• the SymbioCity Approach as a platform for institutional capacity building for urban development in developing and transition countries
• SymbioCity as a source for action-oriented R&D and practical applications in Sweden

The original Sustainable City Concept was developed and applied in many countries from 2002 to 2007 before being renamed the SymbioCity Concept and developed into a methodology and toolbox for sustainable urban development: the SymbioCity Approach from 2008 to 2014. The approach was applied by specialist teams linked to the Swedish Association of Local Administrations (SALAR International, before 2020 SKL international) in developing and transition countries in Asia, Africa, South America and Europe. It was subject to three detailed evaluations by independent evaluators, which resulted in very useful findings regarding its relevance and effectiveness, sustainability outcomes and quality, and recommendations for future programmes.

The Swedish Agency for Growth and Policy Analysis was involved in the evaluations of the SymbioCity business development track. The holistic and system-oriented concept has, according to these evaluations, strengthened the collaboration between companies and other organisations; that said, there remains a huge potential for refining this and for complementary additions. The relevance of SymbioCity will probably increase in the future as forecasts are that more than 70% of the world’s population will be living in cities by the year 2050. It appears that it will be possible to maintain the overall structure of the SymbioCity Approach when looking at the future development of the concept. Relevant additional concepts as the Doughnut Model, Triple Helix Approach and the 15-minute city, Transition Management should be combined with the conceptual framework. The dynamic development within spatial science and urban morphology should be considered, as should the main aspects of institutional capacity. There is a huge potential for applying the framework in future research, education and practical planning on all levels.

Trafikmiljöerna i Sverige har sedan 1950-talet i stor utsträckning formats av bilens behov vilket leder till att många områden och platser behöver få en mer innovativ utformning och användning än idag. Denna rapport utgör en kunskapsöversikt och analys av tidigare och aktuell forskning, utveckling ochinnovation inom ett av de omställningslabb som drivs av innovations- programmet ShiftSweden. Innovationssatsningen är initierad av Energimyndigheten, Formas och Vinnova. Rapporten har sitt främsta fokus på tätorter <20 000 invånare som omfattar ca 36% av landets tätortsbefolkning 2023. Flera utmaningar har identifierats för dessa orter såsom låg täthet och stor utspridning av bebyggelse. De ekonomiska möjligheterna är också begränsade för att kunna hantera avancerade åtgärder av den typ som finns i storstäder. Samtidigt finns goda möjligheter till förändring genom förekomsten av funktionsblandning och kulturhistoriska värden i dessa orter samt kortarebeslutsvägar mellan de aktörer som är involverade i omvandlingsprocesser. Resultat från forskning, utveckling och innovation inom ett flertal kunskaps- områden behöver kombineras för att täcka in det helhetsgrepp som krävs i omvandling av trafikmiljöer. Ett antal fokusområden har identifierats somsuccessivt behöver integreras i framtida studier och experimentell utveckling och design av mindre orters trafikmiljöer.

Traffic environments in Sweden have since the fifties to a large extent been designed in a car-oriented way, which is why many areas and places need to be redesigned and used in more innovative ways. This report is an overview and analysis of former and actual research, development and innovation projects within one of the transition labs led by Shift Sweden. The innovation platform is initiated by the Energy Agency, Formas and Vinnova. The main focus of the report is small urban centers <20 000 inhabitants, which includes 36% of the urban population in Sweden 2023. A number of challenges have been defined for these type of urban areas, among them low urban density and sprawl of thebuilt environment. The economical opportunities to handle more advanced measures applied in larger cities are also limited. At the same time there are favorable potentials for transition by the presence of mixed-use and cultural values in the central parts of small urban centers, and also shorter decision paths between the stakeholders involved in transition processes. Results fromresearch, development and innovation need to be combined in order to cover the comprehensive approach which is demanded in the transition of traffic environments. A number of focus areas have been identified that need to be integrated in future studies and experimental development and design of small urban centers.

Utbyggnad av fasta laddstolpar på stadsgator riskerar att bli ett historiskt misstag, en kortsiktig lösning som kommer stå samhälle och miljö dyrt på lång sikt. Det skriver flera debattörer.