1. |
- Eckersten, Sofia, 1989-
(author)
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Advancing Sustainable Transport Systems : Strengthening environmental considerations and sustainability perspectives in Strategic Choice of Measures
- 2024
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Addressing cross-cutting issues such as climate change, urbanization, andenvironmental degradation in policy and planning is key for transitioning toa sustainable society. In the work of societal and transport systemdevelopment, the integration of environmental and sustainabilityperspectives has never been more crucial. In urban areas, the interconnection between transport and land use is evident, and integrated transport and land use planning plays an important role in promotingsustainable transport systems. However, both the integration ofenvironmental and sustainability considerations in transport planning and the integration of land use and transport planning are complex challenges.This thesis explores the consideration of environmental aspects andsustainability perspectives in strategic transport planning, with a focus onthe Swedish Strategic Choice of Measures (SCM) approach and lessonslearnt from planning approaches in the Nordic countries. The thesis is primarily based on case studies of SCM processes in the Stockholm region. Empirical material has been collected through observations of SCMs involving public officials from the Swedish Transport Administration,municipalities in Stockholm Region, and Stockholm's public transportauthority, as well as through semi-structured interviews, focus groupinterviews, informal interviews and document studies, with a qualitative research approach.The thesis is a compilation of four scientific papers. Three of the papers (1,2, and 4) discuss the SCM process, and in two of the papers (2 and 4), SCM processes in the Stockholm region are used as empirical cases of howstrategic choices of measures have been made in transport and land useplanning. Paper 3 explores and draws lessons from Nordic planning instruments to coordinate transport and land use planning with the aim of promoting sustainable development. The results highlight the difference between engaging and non-engagingenvironmental aspects and advocate for a systems perspective in planning to understand connections and promote holistic solutions. Planning approaches from different Nordic countries, such as the Finnish MAL and the Norwegian Urban Growth Agreements, demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating transport and land use planning through instruments based oncollaboration between transport and land use actors. The results also identify challenges related to fragmented transport and land use planning,and that actors' vary in their engagement when addressing environmental and sustainability considerations in the SCM planning context. Effective collaboration and sustainable choices of measures relies on knowledgeable professionals being capable of interdisciplinary collaborations and innovative thinking, being part of and coordinating the planning process, i.e.SCM. The use of Integrated Landscape Character Assessment (ILCA) can provide a framework for cross-actor collaboration and has the potential to identify multifunctional solutions contributing to a sustainable societal transition. Overall, the results of the thesis emphasize the importance of integrating environmental and sustainability perspectives into transport planning to promote sustainable development.
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2. |
- Eckersten, Sofia, et al.
(author)
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Challenges and Opportunities in Early Stage Planning of Transport Infrastructure Projects : Environmental Aspects in the Strategic Choice of Measures Approach
- 2021
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In: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 13:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Strategic Choice of Measures (SCM) approach aims to integrate different perspectives and identify measures to adapt new infrastructure projects to their local context at an early stage of Swedish transport planning. SCM is a loosely structured framework for collaboration between actors from, e.g., municipalities and the Swedish Transport Administration, in order to facilitate the coordination of transport planning and land use planning. This paper aims to explore the consideration of environmental aspects in early-stage transport planning by analyzing the SCM approach. An explorative research approach is applied based on literature studies, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group interview. The result shows that in the SCM process, environmental aspects such as noise and air pollution generated by road traffic in urban areas, engage the actors, whereas aspects related to landscape and water were perceived as poorly addressed and received less attention. The consideration of environmental aspects in the SCM process is affected by the local and national authorities' different interests and the competences involved. To consolidate environmental aspects in early transport planning, these aspects need to be explicitly addressed in the SCM guidelines and the link between the SCM and preceding and following planning stages needs to be strengthened.
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3. |
- Eckersten, Sofia, et al.
(author)
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Exploring practices for facilitating integrated strategic land use and transport planning in the Nordic countries
- 2023
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In: Journal of Transport and Land Use. - : Center for Transportation Studies. - 1938-7849. ; 16:1, s. 409-435
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Drawing on examples from the Nordic countries, this article aims to explore the practical application of strategic policy and planning instruments and approaches that facilitate the integration of land use and transport planning and promote sustainable policy measures through collaboration among stakeholders across various governance levels. This research applies a qualitative research design including literature research, interviews, and workshops involving practitioners from the five Nordic countries. In this paper, we present an overview of the planning structure in the Nordic countries, including institutions that govern land use and transport planning. We identify different approaches to bridge the gap between land use and transport planning, such as the Finger Plan in Denmark, MAL in Finland, Concept Studies in Norway, and Strategic Choice of Measures in Sweden. Many of the examples employ informal collaborative approaches among authorities to form a shared vision and seek consensus on a combination of policy measures and actions. The paper examines collaborative approaches in relation to regulatory planning and discusses the role of these processes in advancing integrated land use and transport planning and fostering sustainable urban development.
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4. |
- Eckersten, Sofia, et al.
(author)
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Hållbarhetsnytta i transportplaneringen : samordning av målbild ochmiljöfunktioner i ÅVS
- 2024
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In: Sammanställning av referat från Transportforum 2024. - Linköping : Statens väg- och transportforskningsinstitut. ; , s. 217-218
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Planeringen av transportinfrastrukturen spelar en viktig roll i arbetet med att skapa ett hållbart samhälle och att nå målen i Agenda 2030. I omställningen till ett hållbart samhälle behöver gemensamma mobilitetsutmaningar lösas vilket kräver tvärdisciplinära samarbeten och tvärsektoriella lösningar. För att lyckas med detta är samverkan mellan aktörer inom transport- och markanvändningsplanering av stor vikt. Ett avgörande inslag för en lyckad samverkan är att skapa samsyn av problem- och målbild mellan aktörerna. Syftet med FoI-projektet HållSam (Hållbarhetsnytta i transportplaneringen: Samordning av målbild och miljöfunktioner i ÅVS) är att studera hur processen för strategiska val av åtgärder i transportplaneringen kan utvecklas för att främja utvecklingen mot ett hållbart samhälle, bland annat genom samverkan mellan aktörer. En del i projektet har varit att studera en Åtgärdsvalstudie (ÅVS) i Stockholmsregionen som applicerat verktyget ILKA-verktyget i processen. Studien grundar sig på följeforskning och dokumentstudier. Dessutom har intervjuer, fokusgrupper, och litteraturstudier gjorts med fokus på samverkan mellan transport- och markanvändningsplanering och hållbarhetsperspektiv i strategiskt val av åtgärder.Resultaten visar att ILKA kan gynna det strategiska valet av åtgärder i transportplaneringsprocessen på flera sätt. Till exempel kan verktyget bidra till att identifiera och utvärdera de olika värden som förknippas med landskapet, t.ex. ekologiska, estetiska, historiska och rekreativa värden. Den kunskapen kan underlätta prioriteringen av åtgärder som bevarar eller förbättrar de mest värdefulla aspekterna av landskapet. Dessutom involverar ILKA olika intressenter i bedömningsprocessen vilket medför ett ökat utbyte av kunskap och erfarenheter som kan leda till mer välgrundat beslutsfattande och större acceptans för de valda åtgärderna. Sammanfattningsvis kan planerare och beslutsfattare, genom att använda ILKA-verktyget i exempelvis ÅVS:er, skapa en större samsyn mellan aktörer i transport- och markanvändningsplanering samt fatta mer välgrundade beslut som tar hänsyn till landskapets bredare sammanhang och dess värden. Detta tillvägagångssätt främjar hållbar och integrerad transport- och samhällsplanering, vilket leder till bättre resultat för både miljön och samhället.
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6. |
- Eckersten, Sofia, et al.
(author)
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Integrated Landscape Character Assessment as a tool to bridge the gap between Strategic Transport and Land Use planning
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This study investigate the effectiveness of the Integrated Landscape CharacterAssessment (ILCA) within the Strategic Choice of Measures (SCM) processin transport and land use planning. The research emphasizes a systemsperspective crucial for understanding the complex interdependencies betweentransport, land use and sustainability concerns in planning. The ILCAprovides a structured approach to integrate social, natural, and culturaldimensions into the SCM, enhancing baseline knowledge essential for longtermplanning across various scales. Findings illustrate that ILCA promoteda deeper understanding of landscape interrelations and supported informeddecision-making aligned with sustainable development goals. Furthermore, itrevealed the ILCA's potential in fostering multi-actor coordination andtransdisciplinary collaboration, crucial for addressing sustainability challengesholistically. However, challenges persist, particularly in aligning scale andsectoral engagement, underscoring the need for flexible and inclusiveplanning approaches to effectively address cross-cutting policy issues intransport and land use planning.
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7. |
- Eckersten, Sofia, 1989-
(author)
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New perspectives on Strategic Choice of Measures in Swedish Transport Planning
- 2022
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Rapid changes in the global climate and declining biodiversity pronounces the need for adapting the transport system and transport infrastructure, which influence several sustainability issues and cause direct environmental impact through their use of land, as well as indirect impacts, for example, emissions of pollutants to air and water. The Swedish Transport Administration (STA) is responsible for and conducts a large part of the transport planning in Sweden and the STA endeavor to increase collaboration with other societal actors in transport planning. In 2013, the Strategic Choice of Measure (SCM) process was introduced by the STA to facilitate collaboration among multiple societal actors in the early stages of transport planning. In the SCM process many of the choices are made that will affect the development of the transport system as well as the future transport system's impact on the environment. Integrating environmental aspects at an early planning stage, such as in the SCM process, can help reduce and avoid the environmental impact of the transport system. Therefore, this licentiate thesis aims to explore the consideration of environmental aspects in the SCM process (Paper 1), and to analyze the SCM process from a systems perspective in order to illuminate the consequences of system boundaries on how environmental aspects are considered and what aspects are included or left out (Paper 2). In addition, proposals are being developed to strengthen practice (Papers 1 and 2).To achieve the aims of the thesis, interview studies, document studies and observational studies have been performed. Also, a case study of two SCM processes was conducted. This dissertation shows that there are several challenges associated with the consideration of environmental aspects in SCM processes. For example, the increased element of collaboration in the planning process implies that the coordination of the process will affect which environmental aspects are considered and in what way. Furthermore, land-use and transport planning are coordinated in the SCM process, which often leads to conflicting ideas about how an area should be developed. By finding solutions to transport and land-use related problems with synergetic effects, conflicts may be solved, and transport, land-use and environmental needs may be met simultaneously. To identify this type of measure and packages of measures in an SCM process, tools that enable the identification of links between transport, land-use and environmental aspects can be used as support.
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9. |
- Jarzebski, Marcin Pawel, et al.
(author)
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Ageing and population shrinking : implications for sustainability in the urban century
- 2021
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In: npj Urban Sustainability. - : Springer Nature. - 2661-8001. ; 1:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Population ageing and shrinking are demographic phenomena with far-reaching implications for sustainability in the current context of extensive and rapid urbanization. This Perspective rationalizes their interface by (a) identifying the challenges and opportunities that ageing and shrinking urban populations will have for implementing the sustainable development goals (SDGs), and (b) discussing some emerging interventions to capitalise on the opportunities and reduce the challenges to achieving sustainability. We argue that a diverse set of context-specific technological, socioeconomic, institutional and governance interventions would be needed to leverage effectively the opportunities and minimize the risks posed by ageing and shrinking urban populations for long-term sustainability.
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