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Hållbara städer ur ett systemperspektiv – en komplex verklighet i en svensk kontext

Thörn, Therese LU and Carlberg, Susanne (2015) FEKP02 20151
Department of Business Administration
Lund University School of Economics and Management, LUSEM
Abstract (Swedish)
I och med de utmaningar som mänskligheten idag står inför, med stora klimatförändringar, ökad urbanisering och en global ekonomi kan städer komma att spela en central roll i hållbarhetsarbetet. Det är av vikt att beslutsfattare i städer kan förstå, hantera och styra på ett sätt att städerna utvecklas till hållbara samhällen med hållbara processer. Frågan är hur väl beslutsfattarnas sätt att hantera denna komplexitet ger en rättvisande bild av staden och huruvida deras åtgärder faktiskt får de effekter som eftersträvas. Syftet med denna Masteruppsats var att studera om, och i så fall hur, hållbarhetsarbetet i svenska städer kan utvecklas med hjälp av att använda teori om Komplexa Adaptiva System.
Denna studie har varit en, i huvudsak,... (More)
I och med de utmaningar som mänskligheten idag står inför, med stora klimatförändringar, ökad urbanisering och en global ekonomi kan städer komma att spela en central roll i hållbarhetsarbetet. Det är av vikt att beslutsfattare i städer kan förstå, hantera och styra på ett sätt att städerna utvecklas till hållbara samhällen med hållbara processer. Frågan är hur väl beslutsfattarnas sätt att hantera denna komplexitet ger en rättvisande bild av staden och huruvida deras åtgärder faktiskt får de effekter som eftersträvas. Syftet med denna Masteruppsats var att studera om, och i så fall hur, hållbarhetsarbetet i svenska städer kan utvecklas med hjälp av att använda teori om Komplexa Adaptiva System.
Denna studie har varit en, i huvudsak, deduktiv och explorativ studie som samlat in kvalitativ primär- och sekundärdata från ett fall, staden Malmö. Studien bygger på två teoriblock; Hållbara Städer samt Komplexa Adaptiva System. En iterativ, triangulerande metod har använts för att öka studiens autencitet och trovärdighet.
Studien visar, bland annat, på att städer är i en ständig förändringsprocess och att hållbar utveckling är att sträva efter hållbara processer. En stad som ses i ramverket för Komplexa Adaptiva System (KAS) kan arbeta för att optimera hållbarhetsarbetet genom att: (1) se till framtida generationers intressen, (2) ha insikter om städers påverkan på externa system, (3) bör vara medveten om att agenter i en stad besitter självorganiserande egenskaper, (4) vilka bör faciliteras av den styrande organisationen i staden genom (a) ett administrativt ledarskap, samt (b) ett aktiverande ledarskap, som (c) uppmuntrar till ett adaptivt ledarskap.
Genom att använda KAS-teori kan de styrande i staden optimera stadens arbete mot en mer hållbar stadsutveckling. Det kan ske genom att se staden ur ett ramverk grundat i Four Sphere Framework of Sustainability, vilket baseras på Triple Bottom Line, med en ytterligare, institutionell, dimension. Utifrån ramverket kan de styrande i staden ta initiativ som bidrar till en mer hållbar stadsutveckling, vilket innebär en integrering av samtliga hållbarhetsdimensioner.
Denna studie har utrett huruvida teori om Komplexa Adaptiva System kan underlätta för styrande i svenska städer att nå målet att forma hållbara samhällen och bidra till ett mer effektivt hållbarhetsarbete. Slutsatsen, utifrån resultaten från fallstudien Malmö, är att städer kan optimera sitt hållbarhetsarbete genom ett ramverk som utgår från KAS-teori, och att ytterligare forskning på ämnet behövs. (Less)
Abstract
With the challenges facing humanity today, with rapid climate changes, an increased urbanization and a global economy, cities can play a central role in sustainable development. It is important that decision-makers in the cities can understand, manage and govern in a way that cities develop into sustainable communities with sustainable processes. The question is how well the decision-makers' way of dealing with the complexity give a true and fair view of the cities and whether their actions are actually getting the desired effects. The purpose of this Master thesis was to study whether, and if so how, the sustainability efforts in Swedish cities can be developed with the help of using theory of Complex Adaptive Systems.
This study were,... (More)
With the challenges facing humanity today, with rapid climate changes, an increased urbanization and a global economy, cities can play a central role in sustainable development. It is important that decision-makers in the cities can understand, manage and govern in a way that cities develop into sustainable communities with sustainable processes. The question is how well the decision-makers' way of dealing with the complexity give a true and fair view of the cities and whether their actions are actually getting the desired effects. The purpose of this Master thesis was to study whether, and if so how, the sustainability efforts in Swedish cities can be developed with the help of using theory of Complex Adaptive Systems.
This study were, in essence, a deductive and explorative study that collected qualitative primary- and secondary data from one case; the Swedish city of Malmö. The study was based on two main theories; Sustainable Cities and Complex Adaptive Systems. An iterative, triangulating method was used in order to increase the authenticity and credibility of the study.
The study concludes, among other things, that cities are in a constant process of change and that sustainable development is to strive for sustainable processes. A city that is seen within the framework of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) can strive towards optimization of sustainability by: (1) ensure the interests of future generations, (2) have insights about the city’s impact on external systems, (3) raise awareness of the fact that agents in a city possess self-organizing abilities, (4) which should be facilitated by the governance in the city through (a) an administrative leadership and (b) an activating leadership that encourage (c) an adaptive leadership.
By using the theory of CAS, the governance of a city can optimize the city’s efforts towards a more sustainable urban development. This can be enabled by a view of the city based on the Four Sphere Framework of Sustainability, which is based on Triple Bottom Line, with the addition of a fourth, institutional dimension. By using that framework the municipality should be able to take actions that will contribute to a more sustainable urban development, including integration of all dimensions of sustainability.
This study has examined whether theory of Complex Adaptive Systems can facilitate and improve the chances for the governing of Swedish cities to reach the goal of shaping sustainable communities and contribute to more effective sustainability efforts. Based on the case study of Malmö, the conclusion was that cities can optimize their sustainability performance through the framework based on the theory of CAS and that future research on the topic is needed. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Thörn, Therese LU and Carlberg, Susanne
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Hållbara Städer som Komplexa Adaptiva System
course
FEKP02 20151
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Agenter, Hållbara Städer, Four Sphere Framework of Sustainability, Komplexa Adaptiva System, Malmö, Svenska Städer, Triple Bottom Line.
report number
280/2015
ISSN
1651-0100
language
Swedish
id
5463931
date added to LUP
2015-08-19 11:16:10
date last changed
2015-08-19 11:16:10
@misc{5463931,
  abstract     = {{With the challenges facing humanity today, with rapid climate changes, an increased urbanization and a global economy, cities can play a central role in sustainable development. It is important that decision-makers in the cities can understand, manage and govern in a way that cities develop into sustainable communities with sustainable processes. The question is how well the decision-makers' way of dealing with the complexity give a true and fair view of the cities and whether their actions are actually getting the desired effects. The purpose of this Master thesis was to study whether, and if so how, the sustainability efforts in Swedish cities can be developed with the help of using theory of Complex Adaptive Systems. 
This study were, in essence, a deductive and explorative study that collected qualitative primary- and secondary data from one case; the Swedish city of Malmö. The study was based on two main theories; Sustainable Cities and Complex Adaptive Systems. An iterative, triangulating method was used in order to increase the authenticity and credibility of the study.
The study concludes, among other things, that cities are in a constant process of change and that sustainable development is to strive for sustainable processes. A city that is seen within the framework of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) can strive towards optimization of sustainability by: (1) ensure the interests of future generations, (2) have insights about the city’s impact on external systems, (3) raise awareness of the fact that agents in a city possess self-organizing abilities, (4) which should be facilitated by the governance in the city through (a) an administrative leadership and (b) an activating leadership that encourage (c) an adaptive leadership.
By using the theory of CAS, the governance of a city can optimize the city’s efforts towards a more sustainable urban development. This can be enabled by a view of the city based on the Four Sphere Framework of Sustainability, which is based on Triple Bottom Line, with the addition of a fourth, institutional dimension. By using that framework the municipality should be able to take actions that will contribute to a more sustainable urban development, including integration of all dimensions of sustainability. 
This study has examined whether theory of Complex Adaptive Systems can facilitate and improve the chances for the governing of Swedish cities to reach the goal of shaping sustainable communities and contribute to more effective sustainability efforts. Based on the case study of Malmö, the conclusion was that cities can optimize their sustainability performance through the framework based on the theory of CAS and that future research on the topic is needed.}},
  author       = {{Thörn, Therese and Carlberg, Susanne}},
  issn         = {{1651-0100}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Hållbara städer ur ett systemperspektiv – en komplex verklighet i en svensk kontext}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}