Epsilon Open Archive

Abstract

Within the politics for sustainable development the citizens are now expected to play an active and direct role in the implementation process. The viability of the citizens to take up this role, however, remains unclear. This dissertation explores the prerequisites for citizen participation according to the UN Habitat-agenda. The objective was to address the relations between the political intentions for sustainable habitation and residents´ experiences of their residential area, as well as their interest, time for and real action to commit themselves in local work. The main research question was: How do residents´ late modern lifestyles and living conditions relate to the intentions for citizen participation according to the Habitat-agenda? This topic has been investigated in residential areas in Sweden and in Russia. These residential areas are all examples of common types where no particular sustainable development programs have been outlined. The empirical work was based on case studies and the main method being used was conversational interviews, but also questionnaires and observations were carried out. The empirical material has resulted in four papers. The results indicate that few people actively participated in collective matters or had an interest in doing so. The assumption for the study was that participation would be greater in Swedish residential areas, due to Sweden's relatively long tradition of democratic practice, compared to Russia. That assumption can in general be dismissed, due to that few differences were found. The reason for this weak interest in common local issues may be a lack of support for sustainable habitation from local and national authorities or from residential companies. The citizens clearly need new incitements for local participation and action, which both fits into their everyday life and which supports a new sustainable lifestyle.