“It is a sham process with participation.” Ten forms of citizen participation for sustainable development in the Norwegian Arctic

Roxana Roos 

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires action at all levels, from local to global, through synergy among all societal actors. Norway shares responsibility for SDG- based sustainable development with local authorities (municipalities and counties). The Planning and Building Act’s purpose clause stipulates that it shall promote sustainable development for the benefit of individuals, society and future generations. Municipal responsibility for sustainable development, when incorporated into planning processes, is complex and requires including diverse knowledge holders. Focusing on spatial planning as an instrument for sustainable transformation, this study examined citizen participation practices at the municipal level in the Norwegian Arctic. I conducted semi-structured interviews with 75 residents with very diverse backgrounds. Using inductive thematic analysis, I coded forms of citizen participation, their characteristics, and their links with sustainability and transformation. I further analyzed the forms using Arnstein’s ladder of citizen participation and Fung’s cube of democracy. I identified 10 forms of citizen participation in planning processes. Only two of these give citizens the opportunity to influence decisions, but only in matters that are less relevant to sustainability. A link to sustainability and transformation is prominent in all forms. Citizens emphasize the importance of focusing on climate adaptation, nature conservation, and local values. Local authorities see green industry, power plants, and the economy as fundamental. Lay citizens, some politicians, and some planners believe these are destructive to local sustainability values, which are strongly linked to the importance of nature in people's lives. Overall, the current practice of participation in planning processes in my sample of municipalities in the Norwegian Arctic lacks genuine cooperation, fails to incorporate local knowledge, and hardly leads to citizens' influence. Citizens’ priorities thus don’t affect the decisions that are made. This hinders local engagement in planning processes, utilization of local knowledge, and achievement of the SDGs.