The study of citizen dialogues primarily focuses on which citizens are included in dialogues, and how those citizens are included in dialogues, despite the fact that the influence perspective is at least as important as the inclusion perspective for the right to political participation. This essay thus addresses the challenge of citizen dialogues regarding their impact on political decisions. This study examines how citizen dialogue as a democratic innovation operates within a local political context, this to answer how the dialogue functions as a channel of political influence. The overall aim is to determine whether democratic innovation can revitalize representative democracy. This is answered by a qualitative case study of one of the dialogues of Huddinge municipality. The study is conducted with semi-structured interviews as primary materials. Graham Smith's institutional democracy theory forms the analysis framework, which is made up of various institutional and democratic ideals. The study's findings show that citizen dialogues, as democratic innovation, work well in a local political context, since the innovation is considered effective and because the innovation has a structure and a clear function in the political system. The results also show that citizens have a good chance of influencing political processes through citizen dialogues. This is mainly due to the fact that the studied citizen dialogue took place at an early stage of the decision-making process, which enabled better conditions for political participation. The results also reveal that there are no mechanisms within the political system that ensure that the participation will have significance. Consequently, it is not possible to draw conclusions as to whether a citizen dialogue is generally a good channel for political influence or not. The conclusions from this study are that a citizen dialogue can be considered to revitalize representative democracy, provided that it both fits in the local political context and has good conditions for integrating citizens' participation in the subsequent political decisions. / Studiet av medborgardialoger kretsar främst kring vilka och hur medborgare inkluderas i dialoger, trots att perspektivet inflytande har en minst lika viktig betydelse för rätten till politiskt deltagande som inkluderingsperspektivet. Uppsatsen tar därmed fasta på medborgardialogens utmaning kring inflytande. Studien undersöker hur medborgardialogen fungerar som demokratisk innovation i en lokalpolitisk kontext, detta för att svara på hur dialogen fungerar som kanal för politiskt inflytande. Det övergripande syftet är huruvida en demokratisk innovation kan vitalisera den representativa demokratin. Detta besvaras genom en kvalitativ fallstudie av en av Huddinge kommuns medborgardialoger. Undersökningen genomförs med semistrukturerade intervjuer som primärmaterial. Med avstamp i Graham Smiths institutionella demokratiteori skapas analysramverket bestående av olika institutionella och demokratiska ideal. Studiens resultat visar att medborgardialogen som demokratisk innovation, fungerar väl i en lokal-politisk kontext då innovationen ses som effektiv och innehar en tydlig funktion inom det politiska systemet. Resultatet visar även att medborgare har en god möjlighet till inflytande på politiska processer. Detta beror främst på att den studerade medborgardialogen skedde i ett tidigt skede av beslutsprocessen, vilket möjliggjorde bättre förutsättningar för politisk delaktighet. Av resultatet framkommer det även att det saknas mekanismer inom det politiska systemet som garanterar att deltagandet blir betydelsefullt. Det går följaktligen inte att dra slutsatsen kring om medborgardialogen i allmänhet är en bra kanal för politiskt inflytande eller inte. Slutsatserna är att medborgardialogen kan ses vitalisera den representativa demokratin, med förbehåll att medborgardialogen både passar i den lokala politiska kontexten och har goda förutsättningar för att integrera medborgarnas deltagande i efterföljande politiska beslut.

Abstract In the beginning of 2007 the Swedish municipality Örebro decided to have a democratic experiment, which ought to go under the name, “Dialouge for the citizens”. The representative elected politicians in Örebro tried to find ways to involve the people in the process of ruling. Why they choose to try this experiment on this very delicate matter, the closure of several schools in the municipal, is one of the questions this essay is trying to answer. The purpose of this essay is to find out whether the process was an attempt for the politicians of the representative democracy to implement deliberative democracy in the structure of the local governance. The result of this study is that the politicians didn’t manage to reach to the citizens the way they formerly had planned.

The purpose of our thesis was to examine citizens' attitude in a smaller city to new digital innovations, specifically autonomous vehicles and carpools, as well as opinions about citizens' participation. Through a web-based questionnaire, which was distributed on social media, as well as a discussion group on Facebook, an understanding was formed about the human acceptance, motivation factors, views and mobility habits. This was then analyzed to create an understanding of how a citizen dialogue should be conducted in social media. In line with this, we examined whether connections regarding human acceptance of new digital innovations can be affected, depending on how the dialogue is conducted and how much information the citizens are provided with. The result showed a clear relationship between knowledge and attitude, where a little knowledge created a more negative opinion. Other interesting discoveries that were identified, were that people see both problem areas and opportunities with a more digitized society. We also found how the respondents wanted increased participation, and that citizens' views are taken into account and have a clear impact on urban development. Finally, we conclude that the degree of citizens' participation and how the dialogue is conducted, shape their acceptance and understanding of changes in society and mobility solutions. The research area on human acceptance, participation and dialogue on autonomous vehicles and carpools is an emerging area of research. This means that the essay is exploratory which can enable further and more in-depth research. / Syftet med vår uppsats var att undersöka medborgare i en mindre stads inställning till nya digitala innovationer, specifikt autonoma fordon och bilpooler, samt åsikter kring medborgares delaktighet. Genom ett webbaserat frågeformulär, som distribuerades på sociala medier, samt en diskussionsgrupp på Facebook, bildades uppfattning kring människans acceptans, motivationsfaktorer, synpunkter och mobilitetsvanor. Sedan analyserades detta för att skapa en förståelse kring hur en medborgardialog bör föras i sociala medier. I linje med det undersöktes även samband om människans acceptans till nya digitala innovationer påverkas, beroende på hur dialogen förs och hur mycket information medborgarna tillhandahålls. Resultatet visade en tydlig relation mellan kännedom och inställning, där en liten kännedom skapade en mer negativ åsikt. Andra intressanta upptäckter som identifierades var att människor ser både problemområden och möjligheter med ett mer digitaliserat samhälle. Vi fann även att respondenterna önskade en ökad inkludering, samt att medborgares synpunkter beaktas och har en tydlig påverkan inom stadsutveckling. Avslutningsvis drar vi slutsatsen att graden av medborgarnas delaktighet och hur dialogen förs, formar deras acceptans samt förståelse för samhällsomställningar och mobilitetslösningar. Forskningsområdet kring människans acceptans, delaktighet och dialog kring autonoma fordon och bilpooler är ett växande undersökningsområde. Det gör att uppsatsen är explorativ vilket kan möjliggöra ytterligare och en mer djupgående forskning.

This thesis takes an interdisciplinary approach to research how design rationale may improve practices for participatory design in urban planning. Knowledge on sustainable development, participatory planning in public sector, design rationale and innovation are brought together to form a cohesive understanding for the matter of citizen dialogue and participation.  To further gain knowledge on the subject a case study is done following the planning of a consultation at the urban planning office in Norrköping by participatory observations. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews are conducted with civil servants from Norrköping and Norrtälje, discussing the theme of citizen dialogue and municipal capacity and competence for its performance. The knowledge contributions addresses the specific case study at first hand, but are also applicable in some general sense. The study shows that design rationale can be of use and inspiration to address issues of culture and mental models in public sector, as these as believed to stand in the way of forming a more innovative and adaptive public sector that can design better practices for dialogue and participation. Design thinking and attitude can bring openness and human centred perspectives, among other things, to public organisations.  For the case study in question it is suggested that the urban planning office would benefit from implementing and trying out ways of working that are more in line with design thinking and attitude. It is also suggested that they might benefit from employing an experienced designer to be part of planning procedures, as expert designers can adapt methods and tools for participation to design case specific activities. To employ a more case specific and local approach to participatory practices is proposed to bring better results, both in terms of its democratic breakthrough as well as its impact on social sustainability.  Overall, this thesis offers contributions to design knowledge, knowledge that in turn can be important for the area of sustainable development at large.

Cycling is recognised as a mode of transport with many health and environmental benefits yet remains relatively underfunded and lacks priority in many Swedish municipalities. Despite a will from the government to enhance sustainable transport, cycling is not given its rightful place in urban areas. This implies a presence of bottlenecks and barriers in cycle planning. Cycle advocacy organisations try to change this paradigm and develop tools, methods, and processes to improve this process. Cycling advocacy Cykelfrämjandet recently released a new process called Cyklisternas Cykelvägsanalys, cyclists’ cycle route analysis. This process can be used by any usual cyclist who will invite decision makers to experience the cycling environment and evaluate it together using a quality assessment method. A report is handed over to the municipality afterwards and a follow up is done one year after.To fully grasp what this new process entails, a thorough document analysis was conducted. Through an international review exploring similar initiatives developed by NGOs, individuals or governmental entities, the degree of innovation this process was assessed. This was then built upon using semi constructed interviews with participants of the three trial Cykelvägsanalys happening in Marks Kommun, Pitea and Varberg. The interview results were also used to evaluate how Cyklisternas Cykelvägsanalys can work on bottlenecks and use action levers to improve the cycling environment. Results show that whilst other methods to assess the quality of cycling environmentsexist, none are tied into a process, or at least nothing of the official kind. This emphasis on the process, the communication that it creates between politicians, planners, and everyday cyclists can help lift bottlenecks related to cycle planning linked to a lack of political support and the weak cycle lobby. In the three municipalities, it seems that CVA has more impact on municipalities that are less advanced on the cycling question. The results are very promising, and the participants on the municipal side willing to act on recommendations issued from the workshop. A big drawback however is the presence of very few politicians in the workshops which is what would have the most impact. A bigger emphasis on the necessity of getting these actors to participate in the methodology would be beneficial. More research can be done in a few years to assess the impact of follow up and if everyday cyclists took the initiative of trying out the method in their municipalities.

Forskning har framhävt problematiken som kan uppstå när tillgången och kvaliteten på grönytor intill bostadsområdet inte anpassats efter medborgarnas behov. Om användarens intressen och värderingar kring vad som anses vara en kvalitativ grönyta förbises, kan många hälsoaspekter kopplade till vistelsen bland grönytor försummas. För att stadsplanerare ska kunna avgöra vilka kvalitativa aspekter som intressegrupper värderar har medborgardialoger blivit ett användbart verktyg. Dessvärre upplever inte alla medborgare sig som delaktiga i planeringen.  Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka hur medborgare i Malmös delområden Herrgården, Kronprinsen och Bellevue upplever tillgången och kvaliteten på grönytor utifrån ett rättviseperspektiv. Uppsatsen ämnar även undersöka om upplevelsen av delaktighet och inflytande skiljer sig mellan olika socioekonomiska grupper i förhållande till planeringen av grönyta och i så fall varför? Det teoretiska ramverket utgår från den rumsliga rättvisan och miljörättvisan. Metoderna som används är en demografisk undersökning av delområdena, en enkätundersökning om malmöbornas värderingar av grönytor samt intervjuer med medborgare och tjänsteperson om kvalitativa grönytor. Resultatet indikerar att upplevelsen av tillgång och kvalitet på grönytor skiljer sig åt mellan de olika delområdena. Även upplevelsen av delaktighet och inflytande i planeringen av grönytor skiljer sig åt mellan olika socioekonomiska grupper på grund av förväntan, medvetenhet, inkomst och kunskap. / Research has highlighted the problems that can arise when the availability and quality of green spaces next to the residential area have not been adapted to the needs of citizens. If the user's interests and values of what is considered a qualitative green space are overlooked, many health aspects linked to the usage of green spaces can be neglected. For city planners to be able to determine which qualitative aspects interest groups value, citizen dialogues have become a useful tool. Unfortunately, not all citizens feel involved in the planning. The purpose of the thesis is to investigate how citizens in Malmö's sub-areas Herrgården, Kronprinsen, and Bellevue experience the availability and quality of green spaces from a justice perspective. The thesis also intends to investigate whether the experience of participation and influence differs between different socio-economic groups in relation to the planning of green space and if so, why? The theoretical framework is based on spatial justice and environmental justice. The methods used are demographic surveys of the sub-areas, a survey of Malmö residents' values ​​of green spaces and interviews with citizens, and an official survey about qualitative green spaces. The results indicate that the experience of access and quality of green areas differs between the different sub-areas. The experience of participation and influence in the planning of green spaces also differs between different socio-economic groups due to expectation, awareness, income, and knowledge.

Dagens befolkning ställs inför många utmaningar där vikten av social hållbarhet har blivit framträdande som en av många nycklar för fungerande samhällen. Ekologisk och ekonomisk hållbarhet tillåter i många avseenden mer mätbarhet. Trots detta är social hållbarhet minst lika viktigt. Vikten av att involvera invånare och demokrati är väsentliga delar för att kunna arbeta för social hållbarhet. Följaktligen fokuserar följande diskurs på arbete och metoder kring invånarinvolvering i gestaltning av offentlig livsmiljö. Med anledning av bristen på tydliga riktlinjer samt för att förstå fördelarna med inkludering av invånare har denna uppsats formulerats. Vidare tar diskursen upp metoder och exempel från verkligheten för att vidareutveckla kompetensen och diskutera vikten av väl implementerade invånarinvolveringsprocesser vid stadsplanering och fysisk planering. Uppsatsen tar avstamp i Helsingborgs stads projekt Nytt stadsbibliotek för att undersöka involveringsmetoderna i samband med utvecklingen av stadens nya bibliotek. Vid gestaltning av arkitektur som ämnar vara en plats för befolkningen - vilka mandat får då invånarna att påverka? Denna abduktiva forskningsansats har skapats med kvalitativa metoder som tillvägagångssätt i egenskap att förstå för- och nackdelar vid involvering. Centralt för uppsatsen har intervjuer med representanter från Helsingborgs stad varit med syfte att fördjupa fallstudien samt diskutera invånarinvolvering som demokratiskt uttryck. Praktiska metoder i kombination med teori och uttalade riktlinjer lyfts upp för att analyseras samt öka kunskapen på ämnet. Trots att olika metoder av involvering inkluderar invånare i olika grader, konkluderar uppsatsen att den högsta graden av inkludering inte nödvändigtvis är den mest optimala. / The current population is faced with many challenges where the importance of social sustainability has become prominent as one of many keys to reach functioning societies. Ecological and economic sustainability are in some regard allowing for more measurability. Despite this, social sustainability is at least as important. The importance of involving citizen and democracy are essential parts of being able to work for social sustainability. Consequently, the following discourse focuses on work and methods around citizens involvement in the design of the public environment. Due to the lack of clear guidelines and in order to understand the benefits of inclusion of citizens this essay has been constructed. Furthermore, the discourse addresses methods and real-life examples to further develop the competence and discuss the importance of well-implemented citizen involvement processes in urban-and physical planning. This essay is based on Helsingborg’s project Nytt stadsbibliotek to investigate the involvement methods in connection with the development of the city’s new library. When designing architecture that aims to be a place for the citizens - what mandates do the residents get to influence? This abductive research approach has been designed with qualitative methods as a way to understand the pros and cons of involvement. Interviews with representatives from the city of Helsingborg have been crucial in the essay with the aim of deepening the case study and discussing citizen involvement as a democratic expression. Practical methods in combination with theory and declared guidelines are highlighted to be analyzed and to increase knowledge on the subject. Although different methods of involvement include citizens to different degrees, this paper concludes that the highest degree of inclusion is not necessarily the most optimal solution.

The representative democracy has become weakened during the last decades. At the same time the United Nations declared at the Rio de Janeiro meeting in 1992 that environmental problems can best be solved by involvement of all concerned citizens in decision-making. The main purpose of this study has been to examine if citizens panels is a possible way to involve citizens in environmental decision-making and what the outcomes can be. Furthermore the study has investigated what the participation has contributed to environmental politics and how representative the results have been. This has been carried out by investigating the Piteåpanel in the municipality of Piteå by conducting interviews. The result of the study shows that the involvement of the citizens in the decision-making influenced the environmental politics of the municipality. The most striking result is that involving the citizens in the process of forming a climate and energy plan made the final plan more explicit and ambitious. However regarding the representativity the decisions can’t be considered fully representative from a political equality point of view. Despite this the decisions that have been made can be regarded as more legitimate because the citizens have been a part of the decision-making. The study argues in a careful way that increased participation in environmental decision-making in the form of citizens panels can be one of several approaches to both overcome the problems with the representative democracy and solve the environmental problems. / Den representativa demokratin har under de senaste årtiondena blivit försvagad. Detta samtidigt som FN vid Rio de Janeiro mötet 1992 deklarerade att miljöproblemen bäst kan lösas med att involvera alla berörda medborgare i beslutsfattandet. Syftet med denna undersökning har i huvudsak varit att se närmare på om medborgarpaneler kan vara ett sätt att involvera medborgarna i miljöfrågor och vilken effekt det kan få. Vidare har studien också undersökt vilken inverkan deltagandet fått på miljöpolitiken och hur representativt resultatet varit. Detta har skett genom att undersöka Piteåpanelen i Piteå kommun med genomförandet av intervjuer. Studiens resultat visar att involverandet av medborgarna i beslutsfattandet har påverkat kommunens miljöpolitik. Framförallt visar det sig att i arbetet med att ta fram en klimat och energiplan bidrog deltagandet till att den slutgiltiga planen blev mer tydlig och ambitiös. Gällande representativiteten visar det sig dock att resultaten ifrån panelen inte kan anses fullt representativa utifrån aspekten politisk jämlikhet. Trots detta har dock besluten som fattats fått en större legitimitet på grund av att medborgarna fått vara med i beslutsprocessen. Studien ställer sig försiktigt positiv till att ett ökat deltagande i miljöfrågor i form av medborgar-paneler kan vara ett av flera tillvägagångssätt i att både överbrygga problemen med den representativa demokratin samt lösa de miljöproblem som finns.

The aim of this thesis is to explore the institutional design of Participatory Budgeting (PB) in Sweden and how the design may contribute to realize central democratic goods. The study records the different PB experiences in Sweden and focuses on one particular case, which is the only case that successfully qualifies as a genuine PB-process according to international standards and definitions. To examine this, the following questions are asked: which municipalities in Sweden have implemented Participatory Budgeting? How can the institutional design of Participatory Budgeting be described and to what extent does it enable the realization of central democratic goods? To what extent does the institutional design enable the realization of the democratic goods inclusion, popular control, considered judgment and transparency? To what extent does the institutional design enable the realization of the institutional goods of efficiency and transferability? The study is based on an institutional theory of democracy. The method used is a mixed method ideal type analysis that combines document analysis, surveys and interviews. The results of the study indicates that the PB-institutions has multiple flaws regarding the way it enables the realization of numerous of the democratic goods analyzed. The institutional design does not pay enough attention to inclusion of different social groups including marginalized groups, popular control is restricted to issues of low political salience and the PB process does not live up to the transparency level expected from a democratic institution. On the other hand, the institutional design of the PB process does take into account some aspects of inclusion among the youth inhabitants and the process has been effective in the sense that it has delivered physical results quickly.