The aim of this thesis is to examine whether law reforms in the detailed planning process can be an aspect that gets in conflict with the citizens rights to participate in the Swedish planning through dialogue, and how five chosen municipalities are working with citizen participation. To be able to answer the aim of the thesis a literature study and five semi-structured interviews was performed in purpose to get wide-ranging information from municipal officials working with detailed planning handling.   Law changes that aims to make the detailed planning process more efficient has been implemented partly to satisfy the needs of dwellings since the detailed planning process among master builders seems to be slow and inefficient, which to the them means higher costs. The requirement on having a detailed planning program was taken away when the new planning law was adopted year 2011. The planning program was including a moment of citizen dialogue. The case studied municipalities have not been affected in this law change arguing that it’s still possible to bring a program if needed. 1st of January 2015 new procedures were implemented in the planning process in purpose to make the process more efficient, where most of the respondents argue that the process don’t have to be more efficient because of the reform, but that the room for citizen dialogue will probably be smaller. The best way of dialogue among municipalities is to include citizens early in the communication process. Nevertheless there are divided meanings whether how there is enough room for dialogue.

This study aims to analyze the current discourse on citizen’s dialogue and its link to deliberative democracy, with hope to find that it is taken for granted in dialogues with citizens at local government level. The aim is to show, with a discourse analytical approach to the current democratic renewal in Swedish municipalities, how the discourse is designed and what is reproduced or restructured through printed texts published by the SKL. This by finding what is seen as truth or a form of objective reality in the deliberative democratic discourse and by analyzing the reproduction of the same. The purpose may also partly be considered creating an understanding of how this relates to or what effects this has in the discursive and social practice, as well as in seeing what consequences it can bring. Citizen´s dialogues are becoming more common. Powerful actors like SKL encourage Swedish municipalities to implement the dialogue in the organization. Information about the positive effects is spreading, while unintended consequences are not given any room at all. This can be seen as a social problem, a lack of awareness about the discourse and its social consequences or changes. Structural inequalities are reproduced by SKL publications, which give this study social relevance. The results also indicate that citizen´s dialogues have a connection to deliberative democracy yet still differ in several categories.

Participation as a way to ensure equal accessibility to democracy has gained importance alongside the concept of sustainability. At the same time, it has become clear that not everyone has equal opportunity to participate in these participatory events, creating power issues that leave out the voices of certain societal groups from the political context. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to research how this issue can be solved, by looking at how local governments are working to ensure that everyone is given equal opportunity to participate when it is of relevance to them. The purpose is also to specifically research how social vulnerability and marginalisation is taken into consideration in the participatory process. The researched questions used to fulfil this purpose is: 1) How do local municipalities work to ensure equal accessibility to participatory events? 2) How is social vulnerability or marginalisation taken into consideration in the participatory process? 3) Can the strategies used by the municipality be argued to increase citizens’ accessibility to democracy? To answer these questions this study uses a case study design and a combination of two methods: interviews and text analysis. The data material consists of interviews with public officials and politicians at Örebro municipality along with the guidelines and handbooks developed by the municipality about their work with participatory events. The study concludes that Örebro municipality uses a number of different strategies that arguably enables them to have a more inclusive participatory process. They for example uses target group analysis, adapts the event to the group it concerns, take language, place of event, method of announcement into consideration and adapts the language to make the event more accessible. The study could conclude that through these strategies, along with directed efforts towards socially vulnerable and marginalised groups, the municipality appears to take these aspects in to consideration and therefore enhance the possible for more citizens to participate. The questions whether the strategies used by the municipality could increase citizens accessibility to democracy through participatory events generated a more ambivalent discussion and could not be giving a clear answer. There were aspects that to a certain degree could indicate that it was made possible through the strategies used by the municipality. But other aspect such as the ambiguity related to the purpose and definition of the participatory events contradicted this and showed that there exists a tension between wanting to enforce decisions and including citizens perspectives and input.

Konceptuell konst och konstnärer verkar vara ett vanligare inslag i samhällsplaneringsprocesser. Den här uppsatsen syftar till att bidra till en djupare förståelse för vad involvering av konstnärer kan innebära för samhällsplanering, specifikt i processer där syftet är att stärka demokrati. Tillvägagångssättet för att undersöka ämnet är att närmare studera tre projekt där konstnärer har involverats för att föra medborgardialog. För att besvara det övergripande syftet används tre frågeställningar: 1) Vad upplever tjänstepersonerna att syftet är med att involvera konstnärer, och vad är konstnärernas syfte med att gå in i processerna, 2) Vilka roller och funktioner fick konstnärerna, som det upplevs av konstnärerna respektive tjänstepersoner och 3) Vad upplevs som effekter av konstnärernas medverkan? Det empiriska materialet består av elva intervjuer, med totalt tretton personer. Intervjuerna genomfördes med konstnärerna och tjänstepersoner på kommunerna och konsthallarna som varit med i projektet. Det empiriska materialet analyseras utifrån teoretiska perspektiv om tidigare projekt med konstnärer i processer inom samhällsplanering, medborgardialog, kommunikativ planering och planerarrollen. Undersökningen visar att det finns gemensamma idéer i de tre projekten om vad konstnärerna ska tillföra planprocessen, som främst gäller att bidra med nya och oväntade perspektiv. Konstnärerna fick roller som medlare, företrädare för grupper, och en person som hade utrymmet att problematisera och skapa utrymme för tjänstepersoner att problematisera. Detta legitimerades av konstnärernas roller som konstnärer. Frågor som konstnärerna lyfte var ibland oväntade och ovälkomna, vilket belyser den paradoxala synen på konstnären och vad denne kan bidra med, där de förväntades bidra med nya perspektiv, medan detta inte accepterades i de fall det inte passade in i ramen för dialogen eller de fördefinierade målen. Vidare skapade projekten utrymme för diskussioner och samverkan mellan förvaltningarna i kommunerna. / The use of conceptual art and artists in processes related to urban planning seems to be increasing. This essay aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of what artists can contribute with in such processes, specifically those in which the aim is to strengthen democracy. The subject is approached by investigating three projects where artists have been engaged in order to perform citizen dialogues. The research questions that are formulated in order to investigate this concern the aim of engaging artists and for artists to be engaged in such processes, the roles and functions of the artists, and the perceived effects of the artists’ involvement. Interviews were conducted with the artists and officials whom had worked with the projects. One result of the study is that there are common views across the three projects about the artists and what they might contribute with in planning processes, mainly regarding their perceived ability to bring new perspectives and unexpected outcomes. The artists had the roles of mediators, advocates for groups, and a person that could problematize and create space for officials to problematize structures and situations. This was legitimized through the artists’ roles as artists. Further, the projects created spaces for discussion across the public administrations in the municipalities, which was accredited to the involvement of the artists. Another important result of the study is that in two of the projects, the artists’ way of bringing up the uncomfortable or unexpected was in some occasions not accepted by the municipality. This highlights a paradoxical attitude towards the artists, since they were largely engaged in order to contribute with something new and unexpected.

I Sverige utgör medborgardialog ett obligatoriskt moment i den svenska samhällsplaneringen genom samråd. Dock har tidigare forskning visat att det obligatoriska samrådsmomentet inte är tillräckligt för att skapa ett medborgardeltagande som är jämlikt och representativt. Studien syftar till att undersöka hur Norrköping som en växande medelstor kommun ser på vilka utmaningar som finns med att bedriva medborgardialog, samt vilka arbetssätt som idag används och hur dessa kan förbättras. Detta har sedan analyserats utifrån de två teorierna kommunikativ planering och deliberativ demokrati. För att besvara studiens syfte har tre tjänstepersoner inom Norrköpings kommun intervjuats, samt en forskningsassistent inom fältet för medborgardialog. Intervjustudien har även kompletterats av en dokumentanalys med relevanta samrådsredogörelser. Resultatet visar att många utmaningar som redovisas i tidigare forskning även finns i Norrköpings kommun. Det visar även att kommunens ansvar sträcker sig utanför de traditionella ramarna och att nya tillvägagångssätt konstateras som avgörande för målet om ett mer representativt medborgardeltagande. / In Sweden, citizen dialogue becomes a mandatory moment in Swedish urban planning through consultation. However, previous research has shown that the mandatory consultation element is not sufficient to create civic participation that is equal and representative. The study aims to examine how Norrköping, as a growing medium-sized municipality, views the challenges involved in conducting citizen dialogue, as well as the working methods used today and how these can be improved. This has since been analyzed based on the two theories of communicative planning and deliberative democracy. To answer the purpose of the study, three officials in the municipality of Norrköping were interviewed, as well as a research assistant active in the field of citizen dialogue. The interview study has also been supplemented by a document analysis with relevant consultation reports. The results show that many challenges reported in previous research also exist in Norrköping municipality. It also shows that the municipality’s responsibility extends beyond the traditional framework and that new approaches are found to be crucial for more representative citizen participation.

The purpose of this study is to examine and elaborate on the citizen dialogue in relation to project Västlänken. To enable this purpose we completed six semi-structured qualitative interviews with relevant actors. In order to examine the empirical data gained from the interviews, the study based its analytical framework upon Sherry R. Arnstein's ladder of citizens participation. Apart from Arnstein's theory the study also presents two of the most established planning theories within the research field which are combined with the representative and deliberative democratic values. Through the material that we have gathered, the study can conclude that representative democracy has been a prominent factor when it comes to the citizen dialogue whilst deliberative democracy has played a smaller part. Furthermore we can determine that one of the steps deriving from Arnstein's participation theory has been salient.

Historically, citizen dialogue primarily took place through face-to-face meetings with a limited representation of the target group. However, societal changes have sparked interest in exploring alternative forms of citizen involvement. This study highlights the presence of barriers to inclusion and transparency in citizen engagement and identifies challenges in ensuring social sustainability within Swedish municipalities' efforts to engage citizens, particularly in the context of detailed planning processes. Overcoming these challenges is crucial for improving the relationship and collaboration among politicians, civil servants, and citizens.   The aim of this study is to investigate how Swedish municipalities can enhance citizen involvement in planning processes, with the goal of reducing appeals, minimizing time consumption, and fostering transparency and understanding. To achieve this aim, the study employed semi-structured interviews, with case selection guided by the growing political pressure on Swedish municipalities to enhance citizen involvement. The study's theoretical framework is built upon an extensive literature review, while empirical evidence is derived from 16 interviews. Through qualitative analysis and discussion, the study explores how local authorities can develop their practices regarding citizen involvement.  The study sheds light on the current practices and working methods employed by the interviewed local authorities, revealing the need to address existing barriers, such as digital exclusion, communication gaps, and empowerment issues. Previous research emphasizes the necessity for innovative and revised approaches to citizen involvement. Increasing the participation of citizens is crucial for ensuring representative democracy and leveraging digitalization can be a means to enhance involvement.

Cities work to create attractive environments to increase population growth. Attracting people to a place is only the beginning, however, the hard part is getting the people to see the city as an attractive place, to live throughout their lives. This study has investigated how the concept of attractiveness is applied to different age groups in urban planning, and how young adults, families with children and pensioners, interpret the concept of attractiveness. The focus of this study is on the city of Härnösand. To investigate this, interviews were conducted with a planning coordinator and a business developer at Härnösand municipality, as well as with two people from each age group from Härnösand's population. A total of eight interviews have been conducted. The results showed that there are differences and similarities between how people in different life stages interpret what is attractive in a city. The pensioners considered culture to be one of the most attractive things in Härnösand, while the other respondents did not place much value on it. All age groups found it attractive that Härnösand is a small town, which means that it is close to everything. All respondents also agreed that the sea and nature in Härnösand create attractiveness, and that areas with very hard surfaces, such as industrial areas, are not seen as attractive. The young adults found indoor activities attractive, while families with children placed more importance on outdoor activities. The retirees did not emphasize the range of activities as an attractive attribute. Safety was something that all age groups believed created attractiveness in a place, but the pensioners were the group that valued safety the most and the young adults valued safety the least. The result showed that the municipality of Härnösand thinks it is important to get the opinions of the citizens in order to create environments that suit everyone, which in the long run can have a positive effect on population development. The study indicates that Härnösand municipality has ambitions to create attractive environments for different age groups. It shows an example of work with a planning program for an area called Skeppsbron in Härnösand where the municipality used the 8 80 method in the citizen dialogue to try to create an equally attractive place for all ages. The method assumes that if a city is as attractive to an 8-year-old as to an 80-year-old, then it is equally attractive to everyone in a city. However, it emerged that there may be challenges in gathering opinions from a wide range of citizens. The results of this survey showed that all respondents actively chose not to participate in citizen dialogues due to lack of time and lack of interest, which creates difficulties for the municipality of Härnösand to create attractiveness for everyone. This study therefore concludes that Härnösand may have to change its citizen dialogues in some way in order to gather more people's opinions. By doing this, the quality of community planning can be improved and Härnösand can be developed into an even more attractive place for more people in different life stages, which in turn could perhaps have a positive effect on population development.

As the world urbanizes, many rural areas are facing continued depopulation. Despite these shrinking trends there remains a growth-paradigm within planning. This warrants investigating how to plan for shrinkage, and the difficult decisions that follow, such as dismantlement or restructuring of services. The aim of this thesis is to investigate experiences of planners working with depopulation, understanding the role of dialogue in rural shrinking municipalities in Sweden. The study researches the implications of rural shrinkage on participatory approaches to planning, and how citizen dialogue for shrinkage can be applied in a rural context.   Interviews were conducted with eight planners in rural Swedish municipalities. These revealed themes of a connected society, the role of citizen engagement and community, importance of clarity and early involvement in dialogues on sensitive issues and objective of information exchange in dialogues, and lastly the complexity of shrinkage characterised by a persisting growth-focus. This thesis suggests that shrinking rural municipalities in Sweden should take a more accepting view on shrinkage. They should aim for continuous, place-based and open citizen dialogues and close cooperation with community groups and networks in planning. The familiar nature of dialogues should be utilized, whilst it should be considered and counteracted that some groups may be excluded in these informal settings. Promoting co-production and shared responsibility of issues, they should aim to facilitate and harness the power and drive of the community whilst navigating complex social relationships.

Citizen dialogue has recently become a central development area for municipalities and county councils. Despite changes in the Planning and Building Act and a clear assumption in policy processes to achieve ecological, economic and social sustainability, the citizen dialogue has not been able to fulfill its purpose. The formal process for dialogue has been criticized for being late in the planning process, which reduces the possibility of planning changes. A natural sanction is not least about reduced trust to the planners and the political system. In order to reverse the downward spiral, internal efforts are required in addition to the requirements of current legislation, which is a challenge for not least smaller municipalities. Based on planning theories, relevant previous research and interviews with municipal officials, obstacles and opportunities with citizen dialogue in physical planning in a smaller municipality are investigated. A purpose is also to account for important aspects of the work with citizen dialogue. In addition to an account of how the municipality's work looks, how citizen dialogue can promote municipal physical planning and how a good citizen dialogue can be achieved, the conclusions show that: municipal officials, despite their own ideas about the development of citizen dialogue, are hindered in their work through limited scope for maneuver and limited resources. / Medborgardialogen har på senare tid blivit ett centralt utvecklingsområde för kommun och landsting. Trots ändringar i plan- och bygglagen och ett klart antagande i policy processer för att uppnå ekologisk, ekonomisk och social hållbarhet har medborgardialogen inte lyckats uppfylla sitt syfte. Den formella processen för dialog har kritiserats för att för sent komma i planeringsprocessen vilket minskar möjligheten till planändringar. En naturlig påföljd handlar inte minst om minskad tillit till planerarna och det politiska systemet. För att vända den nedåtgående spiralen krävs interna insatser utöver kraven i gällande lagstiftning, vilket är en utmaning för inte minst mindre kommuner. Utifrån planeringsteorier, relevant tidigare forskning och intervjuer med bland annat kommunala tjänstemän undersöks hinder och möjligheter med medborgardialog i fysisk planering i en mindre kommun. Ett underliggande syfte är också att redogöra för viktiga aspekter i arbetet med medborgardialog.Utöver en redogörelse över hur kommunens arbete ser ut, hur medborgardialog kan främja kommunal fysisk planering och hur en god medborgardialog kan uppnås så visar slutsatserna att: kommunala tjänstemän, trots egna idéer om utvecklingen av medborgardialog, hindras i arbetet genom ett begränsat handlingsutrymme och begränsade resurser.