Sustainable transport planning is a complex issue and has become a great challenge for today’s decision makers. One of the biggest concerns is how sustainable mobility can be reached; where social and economic interests can work together with environmental interests. By looking into a special case of transport planning in Åriket, Uppsala this paper analyses the decision making process as well as the response from other stakeholders presented as contesting story lines. The results show there are weaknesses in the planning process, where too few alternatives have been looked at and the methods used has not been able to handle the complex issues of sustainable development in an adequate way. From the contested story lines the different opinions in the question has been identified as either being a part of the old conventional transport paradigm or a part of the new sustainable mobility paradigm, which can be used as a guideline for the decision makers in what way to go for reaching sustainable mobility.

With a growing world population, changing climate, and a greater reliance on electricity, global energy consumption is expected to continue to increase. Solar and wind energy are good options as they are renewable, safe and do not contribute to a lot of emissions as other energy sources. As both energy sources are growing in capacity, it is necessary that they are properly integrated in the planning processes, which should be reflected in the planning documents of municipalities. The aim of this thesis was to examine and compare how the municipalities of Linköping and Örebro integrate wind and solar energy into their planning documents. Additionally, to study the role of external actors and identify possible obstacles for the expansion of renewable energy production in the municipalities. The documents from both municipalities revealed that both municipalities integrate renewable energy through specific goals and plans for wind and solar energy. Linköping focuses on becoming a leader in solar energy production, while Örebro faces fewer obstacles in expanding both wind and solar energy. Both municipalities also work with energy companies and collaborate with various actors to achieve renewable energy goals, as the companies contribute with knowledge, finances, and innovation. The main challenges identified include prohibited areas designated by the armed forces, possible opposition from local communities, and long application processes. Although the research questions were responded to, the potential outcome of this thesis is recognised to have been enhanced and produced more substantial results and contributions, if a more comprehensive method approach was taken.

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.

Governance processes are very complicated in the transport sector in the Republic of Guinea, because of a multiplicity of actors (a complicated institutional framework, the involvement of western countries and China in the country, and the power of the private sector with the mining companies), a historical background (the engagement and disengagement of western countries with the colonization), and a lack of financial means from the government. However, the transport sector is very important in terms of development for Guinea, first because the economy of the country is based on mines and agriculture (both needing an efficient transport sector) and secondly because of a growing population in the last decade. This research project will study how current governance processes in the transport sector in the Republic of Guinea align with the development needs of the country. The evolution of the transport sector during the last decade, the actors, their governance processes and how they align with and contradict development expectations in the Republic of Guinea, and how these processes can be improved will be assessed. Through a literature review, a desk-based study, the analyze of two specific case studies, and many interviews, this research project comes up to different findings. The development of transport sector is important and essential in Guinea’s economy: many local actors are involved in the transport sector of Guinea and face different issues, but there are also international actors who create opportunities and threats in terms of social and economic development. To lower these threats, international actors and the state must be coordinated in terms of financing transport projects. Different processes can be implemented in term of prioritization of projects and funding planning. To have better governance processes, studies and processes of prioritization of projects must involve the citizens as real stakeholders of the development of this transport sector. This can be done through different processes that must lead to the development of an efficient, safe and affordable transport sector for all.

Consulting with the public on planning issues has become an endeavour formalized throughout Western democracies over the past half-century. However, there remains a dichotomy between the legislative minimums for this part of the planning process and the extraordinary efforts of some municipalities. Inefficiencies emerge as attempts are made by many municipalities to implement the contributions received, exposing the potentially different objectives held by each of the major consultation players. Academics suggest that the rationale for consultation appears to have advanced to the point where its value is beyond question, but that the means and frequency for its conduct are not. The literature on the subject is further split between that which focuses on the process of consultation and that which centres on its outcomes. Correspondingly, the fairness of consultation exercises can be viewed from the procedural and distributive points of view. To date, academic study in this field has largely been conducted along qualitative lines. Using a combination of questionnaires, interviews and a focus group to triangulate data received from the major players, an answer was sought to the hypothesis that consultation players possess distinct objectives for this planning exercise. The results indicated that planners and the public do subscribe to separate views for the purpose of consultation, which bias their paradigms of the other parties. Isolating other factors regarding each of these cohort groups further suggested that time, geography, and education often limit the participation of citizens, while planners feel constrained by time, apathy among participants, the political processes and certain fiscal realities. Therefore, changes to planning legislation are recommended that would indirectly reduce the burden for each of the major players by conducting anticipatory consultation. Such measures would reverse the onus of participating while requiring a lesser investment of staff and resources from municipalities. Future research would test the validity of this approach and engage political figures as the final cohort in the triangle of planning participation.

Consulting with the public on planning issues has become an endeavour formalized throughout Western democracies over the past half-century. However, there remains a dichotomy between the legislative minimums for this part of the planning process and the extraordinary efforts of some municipalities. Inefficiencies emerge as attempts are made by many municipalities to implement the contributions received, exposing the potentially different objectives held by each of the major consultation players. Academics suggest that the rationale for consultation appears to have advanced to the point where its value is beyond question, but that the means and frequency for its conduct are not. The literature on the subject is further split between that which focuses on the process of consultation and that which centres on its outcomes. Correspondingly, the fairness of consultation exercises can be viewed from the procedural and distributive points of view. To date, academic study in this field has largely been conducted along qualitative lines. Using a combination of questionnaires, interviews and a focus group to triangulate data received from the major players, an answer was sought to the hypothesis that consultation players possess distinct objectives for this planning exercise. The results indicated that planners and the public do subscribe to separate views for the purpose of consultation, which bias their paradigms of the other parties. Isolating other factors regarding each of these cohort groups further suggested that time, geography, and education often limit the participation of citizens, while planners feel constrained by time, apathy among participants, the political processes and certain fiscal realities. Therefore, changes to planning legislation are recommended that would indirectly reduce the burden for each of the major players by conducting anticipatory consultation. Such measures would reverse the onus of participating while requiring a lesser investment of staff and resources from municipalities. Future research would test the validity of this approach and engage political figures as the final cohort in the triangle of planning participation.

Kulturvärden i detaljplaner är en fallstudie som undersöker antikvariska förundersökningar framtagna till planprocessen. Huvudtemat som uppsatsen undersöker är hur metoder för identifierandet av kulturvärden påverkar den antikvariska förundersökningen. Slutsatsen visar att det ofta är svårt att läsa ut om en metod har använts eller inte då den inte alltid presenteras i förundersökningen. Vidare har uppsatsen åskådliggjort att antikvarien som tar fram planeringsunderlaget – i denna fallstudie – inte tydligt hävdar kulturvärdet mot andra intressen i planprocessen. Samtidigt finns inga krav idag på att ett sådant ställningstagande ska ske. / Cultural values in Detailed Development plans is a case study that examines antiquarian preliminary studies developed for the planning process. The main theme that the essay examines was how methods for identifying cultural values affect the antiquarian preliminary study. The conclusion shows that it is often difficult to read whether a method has been used or not as it is not always clearly presented in the preliminary study. Furthermore, the thesis has shown that the antiquarian who produces the planning data - in this case study - does not fully assert the cultural value against other interests in the planning process. At the same time, there are no requirements today for such a position to be taken.

This study focused upon the manufacturing lead time management in California's electrical and electronic machinery, equipment, and supplies industry. Manufacturing firms with one hundred or more employees were invited to participate in the research. Six subproblems relating to manufacturing lead time were selected and six appropriate null hypotheses were tested. The subproblems identified (1) factors influencing manufacturing lead time, (2) production planning processes influencing manufacturing lead time accuracy, and (3) techniques reducing manufacturing lead time. These factors, production planning processes, and techniques were then IV investigated to determine the importance of each of them in two environments: (1) high-volume continuous-production (HVCP) and (2) job-shop production-to-order (JSPTO).

Transportplaneringen har länge präglats av rationella metoder och verktyg, vilka anses ha svårt att hantera de sociala dimensionerna av hållbar utveckling (Thoresson 2014, s.23-24). Transportsystemet påverkar emellertid förutsättningarna för samhällets möjligheter till socialt hållbar utveckling (Stren & Polèse, 2000, s.28-29). År 2010 bildades Trafikverket genom sammanslagning av tidigare separerade verk för att skapa förutsättningar för en mer integrerad och långsiktigt hållbar transportplanering (Ingo, 2013, s.114). För att bidra till den långsiktigt hållbara transportplaneringen införde Trafikverket (2015a, s.3) år 2013 ett nytt steg i planprocessen: Åtgärdsvalsstudier (ÅVS), där förslag för vilken typ av åtgärd som kan lösa transportproblem utreds (Trafikverket, 2015a, s.8-9).I relation till ovanstående utveckling ställer vi i denna uppsats frågan: Hur integreras sociala dimensioner i den svenska transportplaneringen? Studien har avgränsats till att behandla processen för åtgärdsvalsstudier. Empiri har samlats in genom en fallstudie bestående av intervjuer med en arbetsgrupp för en pågående åtgärdsvalsstudie. Dessa intervjuer har kompletterats med ett samtal med en fokusgrupp, bestående av konsulter som arbetar med åtgärdsvalsstudier och redovisar deras erfarenheter av hur sociala dimensioner behandlas i åtgärdsvalsstudier. Denna empiri ställs i förhållande till teori om social hållbarhet och transportplanering. Resultatet av uppsatsen belyser problematik som finns med den rationella kunskapssynens sätt att behandla sociala dimensioner av hållbarhet. Detta då rationella processer inom transportplaneringen har svårigheter att identifiera grupper i samhället, vilket är ett kriterium för social rättvisa och social hållbarhet (jfr. Fainstein, 2000; Stren & Polèse, 2000, s.15-16). Dessutom har de rationella metoderna och den rationella kunskapssynens svårigheter i att kunna integrera kvalitativa värden av sociala dimensioner. Det framkommer även att ÅVS-processen präglas av förhandlingsplanering, vilket möjliggör att önskade åtgärder kan rationaliseras av de som bjuds in till dialog. I relation till förhandlingsplaneringen begränsas medborgarnas delaktighet och insyn, vilket äventyrar de demokratiska idealen och skapar en obalans i vem som får komma till tals. / Transport planning has for a long time been characterised by rational methods and tools that have had a hard time handling the social dimensions of sustainable development (Thoresson, 2014, p.23-24). However, the transport system influences the conditions of societies possibilities for sustainable development (Stren & Polèse, 2000, p.28-29). In 2010, Trafikverket (The Swedish Transport Administration) was formed by merging several separate administrations, to create the possibility for a more integrated and long term solution for transport planning (Ingo, 2013, p.114). In 2013, Trafikverket (2015a, p.3) introduced a new step in the planning process, as a means of contributing to the new long term sustainable transport planning: Åtgärdsvalsstudier (ÅVS), where in they would study different suggestions of intervention that could be used to solve transport problems (Trafikverket, 2015a, p.8-9).In relation to the above mentioned development, we will pose the following question in this paper: how are social dimensions incorporated within Swedish transportplanning? This paper has been limited to only treat the process of ÅVS. During the study we have done a case study including interviews with a team working on a ongoing ÅVS. A conversation with a focus group consisting of consultants working with ÅVS has also taken place. This empirical study has been compared to theories of social sustainability and transport planning. The result of the paper highlights the problems of discussing social dimensions within the rational perception of knowledge. This is because the rational processes used within transport planning make it difficult to identify groups in the society, which is neccesary for social justice and social sustainability (jfr. Fainstein, 2000; Stren & Polèse, 2000, s.15-16)”. In addition to this, the rational perception of knowledge and rational methodology creates difficulties in integrating qualitative values of social dimensions. It also appears that the ÅVS-process is characterised by negotiation planning, which makes it possible for people invited to the process to influence the interventions according to their own preferences. Linked with the negotiation planning is however the limitation it puts on the citizen participation and insight, which jeopardises the democratic ideals and creates an imbalance in who gets to have a say.

Au moment où les territoires périurbains se transforment rapidement sous l’impulsion des stratégies de développement de l’industrie immobilière, les préoccupations sociales en matière de qualité des paysages et des cadres de vie se font de plus en plus grandes. Devant ces enjeux, les actions aménagistes privilégient le plus souvent des solutions à partir d’un regard « expert » généralement étranger aux demandes sociales en présence. Devant l’insuffisance des connaissances des regards citoyens, il y a une urgence à développer des méthodes originales aptes à révéler ce savoir local. Une enquête menée à l’automne 2009 à Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, sur la Rive-Sud de Montréal, révèle la pertinence d’une approche anthropologique sous-utilisée et novatrice en particulier pour les recherches en aménagement : celle du « récit-parcours ». Permettant un accès privilégié aux récits ancrés aux lieux de vies, cette méthode a permis de susciter des discours singuliers et collectifs sur le territoire, de révéler des propos sur les imaginaires portés sur la ville et d’offrir un espace d’expression des préoccupations, des valorisations et des aspirations des résidants. Les résultats de l’enquête à cet effet sont concluants : ce que nous révèlent les résidants de par leurs expériences vécues des lieux et leurs cheminements spatiaux est incontestablement riche et pertinent pour la compréhension des enjeux collectifs d’un milieu. Les logiques existantes derrière les transformations de ces territoires bénéficieraient grandement de ce savoir localisé, complexe et ingénieux dont dispose les résidants de la géographie, de l’environnement, de l’urbanisation et des caractéristiques sociales de leur ville. Ce faisant, le territoire change alors de statut : d’un objet d’évaluation experte, il devient une mise en scène dynamique où s’inscrivent des fragments significatifs d’histoires faisant référence à l’expérience du vécu quotidien, mais aussi, à la potentialité des lieux. Par le biais d’une telle démarche et en conjonction avec des méthodes participatives, il devient possible d’engager une véritable réflexion plurielle envers l’avenir des territoires périurbains, en résonance avec les aspirations locales. / While suburbs are being transformed at an alarming rate, under the pressures of the Real estate industry’s development strategies, social concerns regarding the quality of life and the resulting landscapes are currently on the rise. With these challenges to bear, stakeholders usually employ solutions from an "expert" perspective that remain impervious to existing social conditions and demands. Given the lack of knowledge from the citizens’ perspectives, there is an urgent need for developing novel methods that are capable of bringing forth this local knowledge. A survey conducted in fall 2009 with residents of Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, on the south shore of Montreal, revealed the strength of an under-used and innovative method: the go-along. This method has demonstrated a particularly interesting technique to grasp the way dwellers qualify, imagine, value and move through their locality. Allowing privileged access to biographies and giving rise to improvised paths, the method has enabled placed-based narratives and has lead to an opening for expressing concerns, valuations and aspirations of citizens towards their community. In doing so, landscapes shift from expert evaluation to a dynamic scene where significant fragments of individual stories are told in relation to the experience of places in the everyday life. The study results conclude that the residents’ narratives and knowledge are undeniably rich and relevant to comprehending collective landscape issues and values. The existing logics and processes behind suburban landscape transformations would highly benefit from the collective wealth of dwellers’ extensive, situated and complex knowledge of the city’s geography, politics, economy and sociology. Furthermore, it can lead way to community participatory projects engaging multiple actors within a collective multifaceted reflection on the future of suburbs and the actions that should be taken towards a better future.