Pathways to Sustainable Welfare Inertia, Emergence and Transformation in Swedish Cities

• Published in: BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
• Main Authors: Emilsson, Kajsa, Fritz, Martin, Hildingsson, Roger, Johansson, Håkan, Khan, Jamil, Koch, Max
• Format: eBook Book
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol Policy Press 2025; Bristol University Press
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: Annan samhällsvetenskap; Central / national / federal government; Central / national / federal government policies; Central/national/federal policies; Cities; Cities and Urban Life; Climate Change; Earth Sciences, Geography, Environment, Planning; Economics; Economics of specific sectors; Economics, Finance, Business and Management; Emergence; Environment; Environment and Sustainability; Environmental economics; Environmental Policy; Envrionmental economics; Europe; Green politics / ecopolitics / environmentalism; Inertia; Nonfiction; Northern Europe, Scandinavia; Other Social Sciences; Place qualifiers; Political ideologies and movements; Politics; Politics and government; Public Policy; Public Policy and Administration; Samhällsvetenskap; Social groups, communities and identities; Social Sciences; Social services and welfare, criminology; Social Welfare and Social Insurance; Social welfare and social services; Society and culture: general; Society and Social Sciences; Sustainability; Sustainable Welfare; Sweden; The environment; Transformation; Urban communities; Urbanisation and Cities; public attitudes; path dependency; inertia; environment; urban governance; emergence; civil society; transformation; welfare; Sustainable welfare
• ISBN: 9781447372585; 1447372581; 9781447375285; 9781447372592; 144737259X; 9781447372608; 1447372603
• DOI: 10.51952/9781447372608

Cities face the challenge of providing welfare within planetary boundaries. As climate change accelerates and has led to a phase of climate emergency, more efforts are needed to handle the dual challenge of adapting to climate change while safeguarding the welfare of citizens. Through original empirical research, this academic work explores whether Swedish metropolitan cities – Gothenburg, Malmö and Stockholm – have entered the path towards sustainable welfare in urban governance. It examines integration across environmental and welfare domains in three core sites of urban governance – local government, civil society and public opinion. The book develops an original framework to capture stability and change by exploring theories in sociology, political science and sustainability studies. Guided by the concepts of inertia, emergence and transformation, the authors reveal that while cities largely adhere to established practices, keeping environmental and welfare concerns separate, promising signs of change emerge. These ‘seeds of emergence’ come from path entrepreneurs who are developing new ideas and practices for more sustainable, welfare-oriented modes of urban governance. The research finds them challenged by discourses and practices of rejection and denial, making it clear that a path towards sustainable welfare in urban governance remains contested.