Spanning Boundaries Between Policy and Practice: Strategic Urban Planning in Gothenburg, Sweden

Abstract

Strategic urban planning is promoted to effectively implement sustainability policies. This paper investigates the role of practitioners when conducting strategic urban planning in a Swedish development project: the RiverCity Gothenburg. A case study of the project shows how practitioners serve a crucial role as boundary-spanners when dealing with the organisational challenges arising during the planning process. The paper concludes that the responsibility put on practitioners risks diminishing the political legitimacy of the strategic planning process. Therefore, there is a need to reduce the gap between politicians and practitioners for addressing the political aspects of strategic goals.