Abstract

This paper presents a case study of the dialogue between the road department and the general public during the early stages of two Swedish road projects. The two road projects were located in Skåne in southern Sweden. Both concerned bypasses past villages and passed valuable recreational areas as well as environmentally sensitive areas. The study focused on the public’s reaction to landscape information. The basis for the discussion comprises two articles: Article 1, concerning letters sent to the road department, is in press, while Article 2, analyzing the official documents of the two projects, is currently under review. The road projects studied were very similar at the outset, but the dialogue between the involved parties took different turns in the two projects. One project ran into difficulties, whereas the other managed to build acceptance established early on, which proved to be beneficial for all involved.