Planning for Wind Power: a Study of Public Engagement in Uddevalla, Sweden

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Planning for Wind Power: a Study of Public Engagement in Uddevalla, Sweden Planning for Wind Power: A Study of Public Engagement in Uddevalla, Sweden by Michael Friesen A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba In partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of MASTER OF CITY PLANNING Faculty of Architecture, Department of City Planning Winnipeg, MB Copyright © 2014 by Mike Friesen Abstract Despite seemingly widespread support, wind power initiatives often experience controversial development processes that may result in project delays or cancelations. Wind power planning – often derided for ignoring the concerns of local residents – is ideally positioned to engage citizens in determining if and where development may be appropriate. Following the process of a dialogue based landscape analysis in Uddevalla, Sweden, the research endeavours to better understand the ties between landscape and attitudes towards wind power, how concerned parties express these attitudes, and how these attitudes may change through public engagement. In contrast to many existing quantitative studies, the research uses one-on-one interviews with participants of the planning processes to provide a rich qualitative resource for the exploration of the topic. Five themes emerging from the interviews and their analysis, are explored in depth. These themes include: landscape form and function; the expression of public attitudes; changing attitudes; frustration with politicians and processes; and engagement and representation. Consideration is also given to landscape analysis as a method, wind power and planning in the Canadian context, and planning theory. The research indicates that attitudes towards wind power development are tied to planning processes, specifically: that the collective landscape shapes values and attitudes, is developed through discourse, and is composed of competing visions; that when formal avenues of discourse are closed, citizens will self-organize to exert political pressure with potentially damaging side-effects on relationships within the community; and that planning, when directed towards recognising and addressing concerns, can generate positive outcomes concerning attitudes towards wind power. Through engagement processes that embrace the multifaceted nature of landscape, value qualitative factors, are fair and transparent, better localize the benefits of development, and generate unique place-based policies, it is possible to acknowledge and address local concerns while still achieving global renewable energy goals. The research findings and recommendations are expected to be of interest to municipalities, citizens, and renewable energy developers to help form a shared and democratic sustainable energy future. Key words: landscape planning, renewable energy, community engagement, public attitudes, sustainability, landscape character assessment (LCA), NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard). i Acknowledgements This endeavour would not have been possible without a great deal of help. To the University of Manitoba, and particularly to the Department of City Planning, thank you for the excellent program, wonderful teachers and financial support you have provided. Thank you also to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences for the opportunity to participate in an exchange and broaden my planning horizons. Thank you to my advisors – David, Ian and Karin – without whom this thesis would have been an inferior product. Your insight, patience, and suggestions have helped me to develop as a researcher and as a professional. Many thanks to the people of Uddevalla for inviting me into your beautiful municipality and helping to enlighten the issues surrounding wind power. I am hopeful that your municipality, and wind power planning in general, will be better for it. To my family: thank you for all of your support (both financial and emotional) and for accepting that sometimes after sitting in front of a computer for work and then for writing I simply did not have the energy for emails. Gerry and Lori, thank you for welcoming me into your home and letting me experience the joys of being able to see my extended family every day. Kyle, thesis weekends made writing more than bearable; it was great having a friend with whom I could overcome this challenge. Finally, Christel: thank you for everything. This thesis would not have been possible without you. Having someone to share a coffee and a chat with helped me to persevere. You drove me across your country and dealt with my whining and procrastination with love and consideration. You kept me going and pushed me to be better. Jag älskar dig, alltid. ii Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgements............................................................................................................................................. ii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................................... iii Figures and Tables .............................................................................................................................................. v Chapter 1 - Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Preamble ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Key Terms .................................................................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Problem Statement ........................................................................................................................................ 4 1.5 Purpose of the Thesis .................................................................................................................................... 4 1.6 Scope of the Thesis ....................................................................................................................................... 7 1.7 Importance of Study ..................................................................................................................................... 8 1.8 Research Methods and Analysis ................................................................................................................... 9 1.9 Assumptions ............................................................................................................................................... 10 1.10 Limitations ................................................................................................................................................ 11 1.11 Theoretical Approaches ............................................................................................................................ 11 1.12 Outline of Chapters ................................................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 2 - Putting Landscapes and Attitudes in Context .............................................................. 15 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 15 2.2 Background ................................................................................................................................................. 16 2.2.1 History of Wind Power ........................................................................................................................ 16 2.2.2 Wind Power Trends ............................................................................................................................. 17 2.2.3 Canadian Wind Power Context ........................................................................................................... 19 2.3 Project Context ........................................................................................................................................... 21 2.3.1 Swedish Wind Power .......................................................................................................................... 21 2.3.2 Uddevalla Municipal Context .............................................................................................................. 24 2.3.3 Original Uddevalla Wind Power Plan ................................................................................................. 25 2.3.4 Ramböll ............................................................................................................................................... 27 2.3.5 Uddevalla Project Description ............................................................................................................. 27 2.4 Public attitudes............................................................................................................................................ 32 2.4.1 NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) ......................................................................................................... 34 2.4.2 The Attitude-Behaviour Gap in Relation to Wind Power ...................................................................
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