Governance preferences for urban sustainability transformations in two European neighbourhoods

Abstract Urban sustainability transformations (UST) are claimed as necessary solutions to intertwined ecological, social and economic challenges related to the ”business-as-usual” urban development – including increased greenhouse gas emissions, decreased biodiversity and deepened social inequality. However, it is unclear how different types of governance modes bring the UST forward and whether understandings between stakeholders differ in what this should and could entail. We study how stakeholders perceive ideal governance and frame the envisioned process of UST in game-assisted negotiations, considering infrastructural changes in two urban neighbourhoods in Finland and Switzerland. Three frames emerge in our results: eco-progressive, adaptive, and competitive UST governance. The findings of this study propose that stakeholder preferences for governance may be related to their expectations of UST at the neighbourhood level. The results point towards strong leadership, a novel type of flexibility, and market involvement as potential factors in advancing the governance of UST in the case areas.