Experiences of Using Urban Growth Agreements to Influence Local Land Use Policy and Stop Sprawl

Aud Tennøy (), Gro Sandkjær Hanssen and Einar Leknes
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Aud Tennøy: Institute of Transport Economics, Norwegian Centre for Transport Research, Gaustadalléen 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway
Gro Sandkjær Hanssen: Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research, Oslo Metropolitan University, Postboks 4 St. Olavs Plass, 0130 Oslo, Norway
Einar Leknes: NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS, Postboks 22 Nygårdstangen, 5838 Bergen, Norway

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-22

Abstract: Urban growth agreements are key tools for achieving the goal of zero growth in passenger road traffic volumes in Norwegian metropolitan areas. Agreements are negotiated in multi-level and cross-sectoral processes where local politicians meet strong expectations and incentives to alter their land use policies and stop sprawl. This paper analyses the effectiveness of the policy instrument in influencing local land use policy, whereby key issues were raised in the negotiations concerning land use, local politicians’ reflections on changing their policies and why they were reluctant to stop sprawl. This research was designed as a comparative case study with three negotiation processes as cases. Data were collected through document studies and interviews with 36 professionals and politicians. Key issues in the negotiations over land use regarded principles of authority in land use planning and decision-making and substantial disagreements concerning land use policies. Local politicians saw sprawl as necessary for attaining local objectives. Conflicting framings of the policy issue, namely ‘stopping sprawl to achieve zero traffic growth’ and ‘continuing sprawl to attain local objectives’, explained the policy controversy that made discourse difficult. The resulting agreements did not directly influence local land use policies but might have an effect in the longer term.

Keywords: sustainable land use policy; local politicians; municipal self-governance; sprawl; urban growth agreements; land use negotiations; framing; sustainable mobility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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