Figure 1. The Great Harbour Canal by Kämpebron. Source: https://www.gp.se/debatt/lat-goteborg-bli-en-kanalernas-stad-igen.325f4b3f-4f8b-4ec7-be31-a11f6d315ab5 Accessed 3 November 2024.
By Cecilia Ödén
Introduction
Citizen participation and democratization has increasingly become a focal point in planning processes in several disciplines, including urban planning, environmental decision-making and heritage studies (Bogdanova & Soneryd, 2021). By leveraging the knowledge from local communities and stakeholders, there is potential to identify multifaceted values of places (Stephenson, 2007). When successful, this could provide heritage planners with input, guiding the preservation of our collective cultural heritage. Material elements being preserved may be historical, however, the value they are ascribed is highly contemporary and influenced by societal discourse. This blogpost aims to explore the potential of citizen participation in urban development in historical environments, focusing on the planned renovation of Gothenburg’s Great Harbour canal and the future development of the adjacent area. Attention is also brought to initiatives taken by the municipality during the preparations for Gothenburg’s 400th anniversary, which allowed the residents to voice their aspirations for the city’s development.
Citizen Participation as a Tool in Heritage Management
International heritage approaches, such as HUL and ICOMOS Toolkit 2.0, integrate citizen engagement as a significant component and tool in heritage and urban development, ensuring inclusive management processes (UNESCO, 2013; UNESCO, ICCROM, ICOMOS, & IUCN, 2023). However, involving the local community and stakeholders into the planning process can also give rise to various challenges. Efforts to involve the public can be complex, as they engage certain community groups, thereby providing diverse knowledge and values, while at the same time risking the exclusion of others (Bogdanova & Soneryd, 2021). Other challenges include how the participants are selected, how communication between professionals and the community is conducted, as well as how to make use of the knowledge provided by the public (Bogdanova & Soneryd, 2021; Lanemo & Olsson, 2015).
Despite these challenges, citizen participation remains a valuable tool in allowing residents to voice diverse narratives in the development of their city. As previously mentioned, a notable example of residents given the opportunity to shape their city is related to the future development of the Great Harbour Canal and its adjacent area in Gothenburg.
Gothenburg under New Development: Preserving History while Embracing the Future?
The city of Gothenburg has a long and rich history spanning back to its establishment in the 17th century. The construction of the city included wide canals to facilitate transportation and trade, with the Great Harbour canal serving as a protected harbor, positioned between the sea and Göta River (Berglund, 2021). Today, the Great Harbour Canal, together with its adjacent area, is recognised as being of national interest for cultural heritage management (Riksintresse för kulturmiljövården) (Riksantikvarieämbetet, 2012). This recognition highlights the cultural and architectural heritage of the site, as well as the rich history of Gothenburg as a significant trading hub in the 18th century.
About this blog
This is the fifth blog post of the series of 24 blogs prepared by graduate students and early career professionals who shared their views on the future of heritage and landscape planning.
The writers of these blogposts participated in the Heriland Blended Intensive Programme “Heritage and the Planning of Landscapes” in October 2024 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The risk of flooding along the Great Harbour canal, combined with increased traffic load, has made it necessary for the canal walls to be renovated, a project that is expected to last approximately 20 years. In conjunction with this project, the transformation of urban spaces along the canal will undergo spatial transformation, with the intention of redirecting a lot of the current traffic and developing a space for social events and gatherings (Klingberg, 2023).
In a related effort, the municipal executive in Gothenburg decided to use the city’s 400th anniversary as a catalyst for the city’s development. In the planning of the celebrations, which was ultimately held in 2023, residents were given the opportunity to express their opinions and ideas regarding the city’s future, establishing a vision for the city that reflected its residents aspirations and dreams. Open dialogue in participatory processes connected to the anniversary initiative generated thousands of ideas and proposals from the public, city administrators, companies and seven perspective groups (Göteborgs Stad, no date). Two prominent aspirations among residents were “enhancing their proximity and connection to the water”, and “bringing Gothenburg’s history to life”. In response, the area surrounding the Great Harbour canal was planned to be revitalized and transformed into a place housing activities, both on and along the canal, as well as a place for the residents to socialize in a cultural and historical environment (Göteborgs Stad, no date; Göteborgs Stad, 2016; Göteborgs Stad, 2015). This project, along with the knowledge it provided, was later postponed to be incorporated in the future development plans related to the canal walls previously described (Göteborgs Stad, 2018).
Conclusion
Initiatives connected to the 400th anniversary demonstrate the willingness of the residents to participate in the development of their living environment and their desire to highlight the city’s rich history. The plans of urban transformation and redirection of traffic will help meet the residents’ aspiration of being closer to water. Although not explicitly stated in the project, the urban transformation could also provide various opportunities to enhance the area’s history, addressing the other aspiration expressed by the residents. In other words, adhering to the residents’ desires would create urban spaces that honor and emphasize the history of the place while simultaneously encouraging sustainable development.
At the same time, new development in the area can be complex, particularly due to the landscape’s delicate nature. This area is the heart of the city, representing its origin, holding a valuable part of Gothenburg’s history. As this blogpost hopefully has conveyed, a prominent method of balancing heritage preservation and urban development is by allowing the city’s population to participate in the development process. However, addressing the challenges entailed by participatory processes is crucial to ensure that valuable insights and perspectives provided by the public represent the voices of all residents.
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About the Author
Cecilia Ödén is a student in the Master’s Program of Science in Conservation at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. This Blog post is inspired by her previous studies in Integrated Conservation of Built Heritage and her participation in the Heriland Blended Intensive Program on “Heritage and Landscapes Futures” held in Gothenburg in 2024.
Contact the author: guscecod@student.gu.se