No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this Thesis is to conduct an analysis describing the sustainable strategy available for hotels, evaluating its potential to create competitive advantage and exploring how its implementation influences other actors in the industry specifically and the whole area development generally. The case study of Ørestad district has been chosen with focus on the Crowne Plaza hotel. The Crown Plaza is the first hotel in Ørestad area that has employed the sustainable strategy into its operational activities. According to the analysis, the sustainable efforts of the hotel include environment-friendly technologies, waste management, use of organic materials, organization of social benefits and events for their employees. The conducted interviews with Crowne Plaza’s employees showed the relationship between hotel’s strategy and employees’ satisfaction. Furthermore, the study has explored the ability of sustainable efforts to create unique reputation for the hotel. The latter, in turn, attracts the business customers who consider sustainable hotel as valuable partner for their own reputation. All in all, as the sustainable strategy enhances the profitability, it is considered a source of completive advantage.Despite the benefits of the strategy, the competing hotels are not willing to imitate the concept. Low demand from private guests, variety of alternative options, high risks and investments are main reasons of indifference to sustainability from their side. As a result, this reluctance restricts the sustainable spillover effect and corresponding urban development in the area. However, as the government and construction agencies are interested in “green” trend and the Crowne Plaza is willing to share its practices, the sustainable urban development opportunities are still possible in the future.The recommendations to the Crowne Plaza include providing the tangible evidence of the sustainability in the hotel and continuing the introduction of environmental and social efforts. In turn, other hotels should start employing the sustainability in its strategic activities because the demand for it will only grow in the future. Only when all players in the area will realize the need for a change, the sustainable urban development will be achieved in Ørestad district.

För att klara av de stora utmaningar vi står inför måste hållbarhetsarbetet genomföras inom flera olika områden i samhället. Stadsutveckling är ett av alla de områden som ska bidra i utvecklingen till ett mer hållbart samhälle. Det ställer krav på att kommuner utvärderar projekt inom stadsutveckling för att få en förståelse för vad som fungerar och vilka delar som ska tas med in i framtida projekt.  Studien har använt sig av kvalitativa forskningsmetoder där en litteraturstudie, av framförallt utvärderingsteori, och en fallstudie, innehållande en dokument- och intervjustudie, har inkluderats. Det övergripande syftet med studien är att få en djupare förståelse och inhämta kunskap om hur utvärderingsarbetet av stadsutvecklingsprojekt går till inom det kommunala arbetet i kommunerna Stockholm, Göteborg och Malmö.  Resultatet av fallstudien visar att det inte finns någon genomgående systematik för utvärdering av projekt inom stadsutveckling, men att olika former av utvärderande inslag förekommer. Samtidigt finns det en generell vilja av att utveckla utvärderingsarbetet bland de tre kommunerna. Emellertid uppges praktiska utmaningar i det dagliga arbetet, såsom resursbrist i form av tid och pengar, begränsa verksamheternas möjligheter att lägga tid på att utvärdera projekt inom stadsutveckling. Vidare uppges även den mänskliga faktorn vara en orsak, där viljan av att blicka framåt är starkare än viljan att stanna upp för analys av projekt som slutförts. Mer informell utvärdering i form av reflektion och muntlig diskussion är någonting som däremot förekommer i vardagen. Idag genomförs det inte någon rutinmässig utvärdering av orsakssamband mellan åtgärd och resultat på kommunerna. Däremot sker det ofta en uppföljning av projektmålen, men i de flesta fall saknas ett analyserande eller värderande moment. Det uttrycks stora svårigheter med att i början av ett projekt inom stadsutveckling formulera kriterier som är betydelsefulla över tid. Vem som ska utföra en utvärdering finns det oenigheter kring. Den främsta fördelen som lyfts med en extern utvärderare är dennes oberoende roll och fördelen med en intern utvärderare är att hen är insatt i den politiska organisationen samt de beslut som har tagits inom projektet. I praktiken är det oftast en intern person som följer upp och/eller utvärderar.  Förvaltningar och kommunala bolag i Stockholms, Göteborgs och Malmös stad, som hanterar frågor inom stadsutveckling, rekommenderas att utföra utvärderingsarbetet kontinuerligt och formativt för att kunna hantera ett ständigt föränderligt samhälle. Redan tidigt i processen bör kommunerna ha en medvetenhet kring vem som är mottagaren av utvärderingsresultatet och på vilket sätt det ska förmedlas. Kommunerna rekommenderas att införa krav för utvärdering av projekt inom stadsutveckling och att avsätta specifika resurser för utvärdering, i form av tid, pengar och personal. / In order to handle the major challenges we are facing, the work with sustainability must be carried out within several different parts of society. Urban development is one of many areas that should contribute to reaching the sustainability goals of society. This requires that municipalities evaluate the projects within urban development. The reason for this is to gain an understanding of which solutions work and which parts of the former project that are to be included in future projects.  The study is based on qualitative research methods including a literature study, primarily of evaluation theory, and a case study, containing a document and interview study. The overall purpose of the study was to gain a deeper understanding and knowledge about how the municipalities of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö work with evaluation of projects within urban development.  The results of the case study show that there is no systematic way for evaluating urban development projects, but that various forms of evaluative features exist. At the same time, there is a general expressed desire to develop the evaluation work among the three municipalities. However, practical challenges in daily work, such as lack of resources in the form of time and money, limit the organisations' opportunities to evaluate projects. Furthermore, the human factor is also stated as a cause; humans tend to want to look ahead rather than to take time on analyzing projects that have already been completed. The more informal evaluation such as individual reflection and oral discussion is something that happens during the workday. Today, there is no routine for evaluating the causality in a project, between measures and results, carried out in the municipalities. On the other hand, the project goals are usually followed up, but in many of these cases there is no existence of analytical or evaluative elements. The study shows experience of great difficulties in formulating criterias that are accurate for a long period of time, from the initiation of the project until the project is completed. In the study there is also a disagreement about the most suitable person for carrying out the evaluation. The main advantage of an external evaluator is its independent role. Furthermore the advantage of an internal evaluator is that they are familiar with the political organization and that they have knowledge of the decisions that have been made within the project. In practice, it is usually an internal person who follows up and/or evaluates.  Administrations and municipal companies in the cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, which handle issues in urban development, are recommended to carry out the evaluation work continuously and formatively in order to be able to handle an ever-changing society. Early in the process, the municipalities should have an awareness of the imagined recipient of the result from the evaluation and consequently in what way it should be communicated. The municipalities are recommended to introduce requirements for the evaluation of projects within urban development. Additionally the municipalities are recommended to earmark specific resources for evaluation, resources in the form of time, money and staff.

Förvaltningen av städer är en mångfacetterad uppgift och framtiden för med sig stora utmaningar i takt med den växande urbaniseringen och klimatförändringarna. Detta kräver att städer är innovativa och kreativa för att effektivt kunna hantera kommande utmaningar. Implementering av innovationer i städer och offentliga organisationer kan se lovande ut på papper men vara utmanade att genomföra i praktiken. Studier visar att organisationer, privat som offentligt, allt som oftast kämpar för att implementera innovationer eller misslyckas helt med att skörda de förväntade nyttorna med den antagna innovationen. I denna rapport har därför en närmare studie på implementeringen av en innovation i stadsutvecklingsprojektet Norra Djurgårdstaden genomförts med syftet att utreda hur innovationer implementeras i ett stadsutvecklingsprojekt. Vidare syftar studien även till att utreda vilka förutsättningar som möjliggör en lyckad implementering samt de utmaningar som uppstår i samband med implementeringsprocessen. För att kunna uppfylla studiens syfte och besvara forskningsfrågorna har en kvalitativ forskningsmetod använts. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med de individer som var direkt involverade i implementeringen och användningen av innovationen. Studiens konceptuella ramverk bygger främst på litteraturstudier inom problemområdet och en implementeringsmodell som bryter ner implementeringen av innovationer i byggprojekt i sex olika faser. En tematisk analys av resultatet utifrån litteraturstudien och implementeringsmodellen gav underlag till studiens slutsatser. Studien mynnar ut i att implementeringen av innovationer i stadsutvecklingsprojekt startar med identifieringen av en tydlig vision av innovationen och målen som ska uppnås med tillämpningen av innovationen. Vidare ska innovationen och de förväntade målen överensstämma med projektets- och/eller organisationens övergripande mål för att motivera avsättningen av resurser för vidare utredning. Organisationen behöver demonstrera sitt engagemang under hela implementeringsprocessen. Inför tillämpningen av innovationen ska organisationen förbereda sig genom att bl. a erhålla de resurser och tillstånd som krävs för tillämpningen. Efter en period av justering och anpassning av innovationen för att få en så effektiv användning som möjlig så ska slutligen en efterhandsutvärdering genomföras där de förväntade nyttorna jämförs mot de faktiska resultaten. Framgångsfaktorerna som identifierades under innovationsimplementeringen var bland annat kompetensen inom projektgruppen, engagerat ledarskap med ett högt initiativtagande, etappvis arbetsgång med långsiktig planering och ett bibehållet engagemang genom hela processen. De utmaningar som uppstod under innovationsimplementeringen var bland annat arbetsbelastning och tidsbrist, juridiska påtryckningar från tredje man, långa och byråkratiska processer samt information – och kunskapsbrist hos slutanvändare. / The management of cities is a multifaceted task and the future brings with it great challenges along with the growing urbanization and climate change. Therefore there is a need for innovative and creative cities to be able to effectively deal with the coming challenges. Implementing innovations in cities and public organizations might seem promising in principle but can become challenging to accomplish in practice. Studies illustrate that organizations, both private and public, very often struggle with implementing innovations or fail to reap the expected benefits of the adopted innovations. This paper therefore conducts a study of the implementation of an innovation in the urban development project Stockholm Royal Seaport, with the aim of studying how innovations are implemented in urban development projects. This paper further aims to identify the enabling conditions that facilitate successful implementations of innovation aswell as the barriers that arise during the implementation process. A qualitative research method has been used to be able to fulfill the aim of this paper and to answer the research questions. Semi-structured interviews has been conducted with individuals who were directly involved with the implementation and use of the innovation. The conceptual framework that this paper is based upon consists of a literature review of the chosen research area and an implementation model that breaks down the implementation of innovation in construction projects into six different phases. A thematic analysis of the empirics based on the literature review and the implementation model provided the basis for the conclusions presented in this paper. The study establishes that the implementation of innovation in urban development projects starts with the identification of a clear vision of the innovation and the benefits that are expected to be obtained by implementing the innovation. Furthermore, the innovation and the expected benefits should be aligned with the projects and/or the organizations overarching goals in order to motivate the allocation of resources for further investigation. The organization needs to demonstrate its commitment throughout the implementation process. The organization also needs to prepare for the implementation of the innovation by obtaining the needed resources and permits. After the necessary modifications and adjustments of the innovation are completed to ensure maximal efficiency, a post-use evaluation should be conducted where the expected benefits are compared to the actual outcome. The enabling conditions that were identified during the implementation of the innovation included the competence within the project group, commited leadership with high initiative, a gradual work progress with long term planning and a sustained commitment throughout the entire process. The barriers that were identified during the implementation of the innovation included high work load and lack of time, legal pressure from third party, long and bureaucratic processes as well as lack of information and knowledge amongst end-users.

<p>Situating Hamilton, Ontario within the global context of economic restructuring incited by capitalist, neoliberal ideologies, I argue that Hamilton, a “city on the verge of renaissance” (Hume A6), needs to be guided by a more inclusive, citizen-led approach to “rebuilding” the city. To critically understand the complex power imbalances underlying this dominant culture of “rebuild,” I will examine the multifaceted concept of resilience, seeing it as both a tool of domination used by those in power over the public sphere, as well as a personal and communal process that can encompass positive adaptation and growth in the face of change. A key question to be asked throughout is: “Resilience for what and for whom?” (Cote and Nightingale 475). While each chapter will be foregrounded with pertinent theory, I will look to various forms of literature based in Hamilton in order to seek nuanced and imaginative understandings of the current climate of “resilience” that are specific to this place.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

Since the 1950s, Capacity Development (CD) has been an important component of international development agendas. It established the widespread consensus that the capacity of individuals and organizations is critical to maintaining and enhancing the effectiveness of development projects and programs. A problem, however, is that the concept has been applied without due consideration to how it should be adapted to the local context, making it more of a symbolic gesture. The application of CD to urban infrastructure projects in India is one such example. Recognizing the shortage of urban infrastructure as one of the major impediments in India's economic growth and rapid urbanization, the Government of India (GOI) launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in December 2005 to provide substantial central financial assistance to cities for urban development over a period of seven years. The GOI expected the JNNURM to reform institutions and strengthen human resource capability related to many areas of project delivery. During its implementation, however, the JNNURM has been confronted by problems related to a lack of capacity. This research reviews the capacity challenges related to the JNNURM program and considers the broader implications for urban infrastructure development in other developing countries. This research begins with the question "How can CD be operationalized?" From this starting point, the research seeks to reveal the operational values of CD. Following a detailed literature review on CD, capacity factors that are applicable to the urban sector in India are identified and a CD framework is developed. Two research methods--case studies and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA)--are adopted to answer the primary research questions. By leveraging the strength of these two methods, this research advances our understanding of the relationship between capacity and development goals such as improving project performance. In the case studies, this research investigates the gaps between CD theory and practice through the lens of practitioner perceptions of CD. In addition, unlike traditional thinking on the linear relationship between capacity and project outcomes, the case studies reveal two-way causal relationships between capacity and project outcomes that form a spiral structure between the project delivery process and capacity factors. Better capacity can enhance project performance and lead to better outcomes, and project performance and outcomes also influence and reinforce capacity in the reverse direction. Moreover, through the fsQCA, this research identified causal relationships between capacity factors and outcomes and demonstrated that the capacity factors generate different outcomes through their interactions with other capacity factors. This finding contributes to our understanding of how capacity is interconnected with development goals. In summary, this research contributes to both CD theory and CD practice based on a comprehensive approach that not only considers CD at multiple levels (environmental, organizational/network, and individual/project), but also covers different CD subjects such as context, actors, dimensions, processes, and impacts. Through this comprehensive approach, a range of important findings are developed that can help researchers and practitioners operationalize the complex concept of CD. / Ph. D.

The City of Stockholm has undergone a curious process of considering whether to launch a bid for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. That Stockholm has contemplated launching a bid is not surprising from a regional perspective—the Olympic Games have not been held in a Scandinavian country since Lillehammer, Norway played host in 1994 and Sweden has never hosted the Winter Olympics. A potential bid from Stockholm would also be consistent with Sweden's self-identification and embracement of being a 'sportive nation'. Failed applications by the Swedish cities of Gothenburg, Falun, and Östersund to host the Winter Olympic Games confirm the long-standing interest of the Swedish Olympic Committee to secure the Games, although it should be noted that the Swedish Olympic Committee did not submit a bid for the 2006, 2010, 2014 or 2018 Winter Olympic Games competitions. Although recent reports indicate that Stockholm will not vie for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, the notion that the city was even considering the option remains surprising. Stockholm had withdrawn its bid from the 2022 bidding competition citing a variety of concerns including a lack of government and public support, financial uncertainty, as well as the post-event viability of purpose-built infrastructure. Stockholm's withdrawal from the 2022 competition resonates with the growing apprehension by potential bid cities (especially those emerging from democratic countries) towards the Olympic Games. This thesis seeks to illustrate that Stockholm's Olympic hopes have book-ended a transformative period in the Olympic bidding process and to expose the struggle that bid cities have in adjusting to the demands of the IOC's bidding process. / Master of Science

This Diploma thesis deals with the support system for the Czech urban areas development, available in the EU Funds in the 2007-2013 programming period. First, the work briefly discusses the characteristics of the EU Cohesion Policy, and then describes the development of its urban dimension emphasizing the period after 2000. The main objective of this thesis is to analyze Czech strategic documents for the implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy and specific programmes linked to urban development, i.e. the Regional Operational Programmes and the Integrated Operational Programme. The final part includes the case study of Pilsen city, as a concrete example of the analyzed programmes implementation.

published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management