Introduction
Big cities. The two words conjure up an image of dense development, lots of people and countless cars. Step into the seething life and you'll discover that a large number of dialogues are taking place, dialogues between voters and politicians, planners and constructors, landlords and tenants, and so on.
Reason to Be Selected
A dialogue of growing importance is the one between the people and the urban environment on one side and the natural environment on the other. We all participate in the ecological cycle and our way of life has substantial impact on the environment. Most people are aware today that our lifestyle is a threat to the environment. We consume large quantities of goods and,with the growing need for new housing, undeveloped land. The land used for new housing often green areas. The goods we produce and consume in part end up as wastes and emissions to the air and watercourses. They create a situation where resources are recycled efficiently in urban areas is a major challenge that needs to be met.
Highlights:
In Sweden, municipalities are responsible for the planning and management of land and water resources. To make it possible for local administrators to take full responsibility for their own land areas, the Swedish parliament has passed laws decentralizing planning and delegating authority to the local level. This guarantees strong local participation of the public in land-use planning, and permits strict protection of areas of national interest.Details
The close cooperation between local authorities and the city's public utilities, paired with strong public participation, have been crucial factors behind the improvements made.
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Summary:
With the help of a set of hard (technology) and-soft (democracy) tools, the environment of Stockholm has undergone major improvements in the past decades. The paper describes the continued progress towards cleaner water, less air pollution and the protection and maintenance of a thriving urban environment.
The situation of Swedish local authorities is rather unique. The municipality has its own departments and public companies for public utilities and controls their actions with the framework of the legislation. In many spheres decision power is delegated from the national to the local level. We have local taxing righto finance the work of the local authority.
| Lat: | 59.3261 |
| Lng: | 17.9875 |
| Type: | |
| Region: | Europe |
| Scale: | City |
| Field: | Environment |
| City: | Stockholm |