Populism, Planning, and the Politics of Discontent

The article provides an analysis of contemporary localist-populist movements’ understanding of, and approach towards, spatial planning and urban development. This is achieved through an in-depth case study of populist mobilization in one rural-urban municipality in Sweden. Central components of the localist-populist planning agenda are identified, including core values and planning roles. The results demonstrate how localist-populists mobilise political discontent and fear of change into political programmes prioritising protectionism and preservation, blending anti-urbanist and anti-entrepreneurialist sentiment with traditional conservatism. Localist-populism works to rearticulate the public interest justification of planning in pursuit of new purposes and legitimacies.