Love Edenborg and Ulrika Palm, SKR

A cornerstone of Street Moves is using small-scale testing to develop new tools for planning processes and accelerate change. Where is there the most room for such testing and experimentation in municipal planning?

It’s best done during a phase where the municipality or region is open to rethinking its approach. There needs to be a recognition that something in a specific area or location isn’t working, followed by brainstorming alternative solutions. Entering the process at the right time increases the chances of success.

It’s also important to begin with some form of citizen dialogue to identify what residents need. When needs come directly from citizens, it’s easier to push for changes. At the same time, you have to consider where resources will come from. Municipal budgets are often tied to regular operations, so introducing something new outside of standard activities requires securing additional funding. This can’t be done casually—funds must be allocated beforehand. In political organizations, this takes time; the initiative must go through the budget process before resources become available.

There’s also a difference between large and small municipalities. Larger cities with major urban development projects may already have dedicated funds, but smaller municipalities without such projects often lack financial flexibility.

How can we ensure that temporary projects don’t remain one-off experiments but instead become tools for sustainable change?

 One approach is to establish a development or innovation fund specifically for these initiatives. Another could involve pooling resources from different budgets. For instance, investing in heated streets is expensive but could reduce healthcare costs related to winter injuries. However, municipalities don’t bear healthcare costs; regional healthcare services do. This raises questions about incentives: why invest in solutions that save money for a different budget?

Additionally, achieving climate goals requires steering efforts toward those targets. Clear incentives and alignment across sectors are crucial to make these changes possible.

What are the key factors for successful citizen dialogue?

First, involve residents at the right stage of the process. Citizens need to provide input early enough to influence decisions. Second, municipalities must act quickly. If residents request a seating area, it’s important to ensure it’s implemented promptly. Delays can lead to frustration with the dialogue process.

Late-stage citizen input, when decisions are largely finalized, can sometimes be necessary due to regulatory requirements. However, at that point, there’s often little room to act on feedback, and inviting open dialogue at this stage can create dissatisfaction.

A target audience analysis is also crucial. Who do we want to reach, and how? There’s often a vocal segment of the population that participates, but they might not be the most affected by the changes.

How can we encourage more municipalities to transform their streets into sustainable, healthy, and vibrant spaces?

Municipal development always depends on political priorities. In smaller municipalities, politics often influence every decision more directly. In larger cities, competing political priorities are common—for instance, strong climate-driven policies might coexist with others who are less interested in such initiatives. In smaller municipalities, the direction is often clearer: is street transformation even on the agenda?

A common issue is that training efforts tend to focus only on municipal staff. For any type of change to succeed, it must also involve the political level—or ideally both levels. Success depends on a dynamic interplay between civil servants and politicians, as both are crucial for implementing change.

How do we reach politicians?

One way is to create educational materials specifically for politicians, which can be presented at council meetings. From a civil servant’s perspective, it’s essential to involve politicians early in discussions about what goals mean in practical terms. For example, if you’re aiming to meet climate targets, you need to communicate what that entails and its consequences. This ensures politicians are informed and prepared, avoiding unexpected reactions.

To achieve goals, we must create the right conditions, including an early understanding of the importance of strategic documents in planning. This is the foundation for driving change.