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Ny väg till nya vägar och järnvägar : Finanseringspragmatism och planeringsrationalism vid beslut om infrastrukturinvesteringar

Hultén, John LU (2012) In Lund Political Studies
Abstract
Investment planning is a decision-making process with specific characteristics. It is often seen as a rational quest for solutions that are in the public interest, and the dominant discourse tends to be technical and economic. Public documents reproduce this picture of a decision-making process based on rationalist premises where analytical methods and objective facts form the basis for decisions. Behind this purely rationalist façade, however, planning is also a highly political process where various actors try to impose their will on others. This aspect of the planning process is characterised by a less rationalist and more pragmatic way of thinking. The overall aim of the dissertation is to explore the tension between rationalism and... (More)
Investment planning is a decision-making process with specific characteristics. It is often seen as a rational quest for solutions that are in the public interest, and the dominant discourse tends to be technical and economic. Public documents reproduce this picture of a decision-making process based on rationalist premises where analytical methods and objective facts form the basis for decisions. Behind this purely rationalist façade, however, planning is also a highly political process where various actors try to impose their will on others. This aspect of the planning process is characterised by a less rationalist and more pragmatic way of thinking. The overall aim of the dissertation is to explore the tension between rationalism and pragmatism in decision-making and to investigate the manifestations of these aspects in the instruments that govern planning processes. Special emphasis is placed on decision-making processes involving multiple tiers of government.

The research presented in the dissertation has been carried out as a case study of the planning of road and railway investments in Sweden. One part of the empirical analysis focuses on the historical-institutional development of investment planning from its introduction in the 1950s to the present day, with a special focus on the planning instruments involved. A second part of the analysis focuses on the decision-making process that resulted in a major investment plan presented in March 2010, with special emphasis on local and regional co-financing as a new and highly pragmatic instrument used in the process. The dissertation shows that a shift towards more pragmatic views has taken place during the last couple of decades. New financial arrangements are an indication of such a dynamic change. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Hur går det egentligen till när beslut fattas om nya, och för skattebetalarna kostsamma, väg- och järnvägsinvesteringar? Fattas besluten på basis av objektiva utredningar och noggranna kalkyler, eller är de ett resultat av politiska förhandlingar och spel mellan olika intressen? I denna avhandling undersöks investeringsplanering som politisk beslutsprocess dels genom en analys av hur planeringen har vuxit fram och institutionaliserats under ett drygt halvsekel, dels genom en detaljerad studie av den process som ledde fram till en omfattande satsning på transportinfrastruktur som presenterades av regeringen i mars 2010. Ett nytt inslag i processen var att staten försökte få andra, i synnerhet... (More)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Hur går det egentligen till när beslut fattas om nya, och för skattebetalarna kostsamma, väg- och järnvägsinvesteringar? Fattas besluten på basis av objektiva utredningar och noggranna kalkyler, eller är de ett resultat av politiska förhandlingar och spel mellan olika intressen? I denna avhandling undersöks investeringsplanering som politisk beslutsprocess dels genom en analys av hur planeringen har vuxit fram och institutionaliserats under ett drygt halvsekel, dels genom en detaljerad studie av den process som ledde fram till en omfattande satsning på transportinfrastruktur som presenterades av regeringen i mars 2010. Ett nytt inslag i processen var att staten försökte få andra, i synnerhet kommuner och regioner, att stå för delar av kostnaden. Särskilt fokus riktas i avhandlingen mot hur lokala, regionala och nationella aktörer interagerar i planeringsprocessen, samt mot de instrument som används för att styra och koordinera beslutsfattandet. Avhandlingen visar att investeringsplanering grundar sig på en teknokratisk, rationalistisk syn på beslutsfattande, men att det under senare decennier skett en förskjutning mot ett mer pragmatiskt förhållningssätt. Nya sätt att finansiera investeringar är ett tydligt tecken på denna utveckling. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Docent Hall, Patrik, Malmö högskola
organization
alternative title
New Road to New Roads and Railways : Financial Pragmatism and Planning Rationalism in Decision-making on Infrastructure Investments
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
pragmatism, rationalism, railway investments, road investments, transport infrastructure, co-financing, alternative financing, investment planning, planning, Decision-making process
in
Lund Political Studies
issue
166
pages
312 pages
publisher
Lund University
defense location
Edens Hörsal, Paradisgatan 5H, Lund
defense date
2012-05-25 10:15:00
ISSN
0460-0037
ISBN
978-91-88306-83-8
91-88306-83-6
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
83110fbe-3feb-485a-a536-65965b966981 (old id 2518168)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:50:13
date last changed
2020-12-04 11:10:37
@phdthesis{83110fbe-3feb-485a-a536-65965b966981,
  abstract     = {{Investment planning is a decision-making process with specific characteristics. It is often seen as a rational quest for solutions that are in the public interest, and the dominant discourse tends to be technical and economic. Public documents reproduce this picture of a decision-making process based on rationalist premises where analytical methods and objective facts form the basis for decisions. Behind this purely rationalist façade, however, planning is also a highly political process where various actors try to impose their will on others. This aspect of the planning process is characterised by a less rationalist and more pragmatic way of thinking. The overall aim of the dissertation is to explore the tension between rationalism and pragmatism in decision-making and to investigate the manifestations of these aspects in the instruments that govern planning processes. Special emphasis is placed on decision-making processes involving multiple tiers of government.<br/><br>
 The research presented in the dissertation has been carried out as a case study of the planning of road and railway investments in Sweden. One part of the empirical analysis focuses on the historical-institutional development of investment planning from its introduction in the 1950s to the present day, with a special focus on the planning instruments involved. A second part of the analysis focuses on the decision-making process that resulted in a major investment plan presented in March 2010, with special emphasis on local and regional co-financing as a new and highly pragmatic instrument used in the process. The dissertation shows that a shift towards more pragmatic views has taken place during the last couple of decades. New financial arrangements are an indication of such a dynamic change.}},
  author       = {{Hultén, John}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-88306-83-8}},
  issn         = {{0460-0037}},
  keywords     = {{pragmatism; rationalism; railway investments; road investments; transport infrastructure; co-financing; alternative financing; investment planning; planning; Decision-making process}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  number       = {{166}},
  publisher    = {{Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund Political Studies}},
  title        = {{Ny väg till nya vägar och järnvägar : Finanseringspragmatism och planeringsrationalism vid beslut om infrastrukturinvesteringar}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3616848/2518171.pdf}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}