Citizen participation in climate smart urban development: Part 1

This report presents the first results of our engagement in the research project Climate-Smart Näsby. Our involvement from January to December 2021 was two-fold: first, it entailed identifying potential stakeholders in the urban sustainable development of Näsby, the northern part of the city of Kristianstad (Sweden); second, it entailed outlining citizen engagement possibilities for the project. The report highlights our reflections and lessons learned through literature review, document analysis, photo walks, interviews and workshops. After presenting the challenges cities face in their attempts to become more sustainable, the report emphasizes the importance of increased stakeholder engagement in sustainable city development projects. The report also illustrates some techniques for identifying and analyzing stakeholders and typical tools used to engage them. It discusses how the choice of method when studying citizens, and their engagement, can be a power factor leading to distanced view of citizens. It also highlights how understanding citizen engagement can be blurred due to different interpretations of what democracy means. The report presents a tentative stakeholder map for the project in the form of a power-interest grid. Reflections on photo walks/interviews with citizens are presented in concise and diverse forms that invite to interpretation, understanding and experience of being there.