This synthesis essay presents a reflective synthesis of the findings of the four research projects funded through the Nordic initiative on Sustainable Urban Development and Smart Cities between 2000 and 2024.
Sustainable urban development is understood by this initiative to broadly address and solve the social, economic, and environmental challenges of cities by promoting quality of life, with the goal of making cities inclusive, safe, and resilient (UN Sustainable Development Goal 11).
The authors make six recommendations for urban planners and decision makers to make Nordic cities sustainable:
- Adopt a Holistic Approach to Smart Cities
- Cultivate Collective Learning through ‘Technologies of Humility’
- Harness Digital Tools to Reach Diverse Groups
- Contextualise and Adapt Participatory Methods
- Seek to Understand Diverse Standpoints
- A Nordic Platform for Public Participation?
