Productive ambivalences, dilemmas and limitations: conceptualisations of local economic development in comprehensive planning in shrinking Swedish municipalities

Josefina Syssner

Planning Practice & Research, 2026, vol. 41, issue 3, 554-575

Abstract: This article explores how local economies are conceptualised in municipal comprehensive plans from 14 Swedish municipalities experiencing long-term population decline. Using qualitative text condensation, the analysis examines how a ‘good’ local economy is framed and what resources are seen as central to it. While growth remains a dominant but ambiguously defined goal, the plans also emphasise sustainability, diversification, localisation, and community resources. The discussion identifies productive ambivalences around growth, dilemmas of diversification versus specialisation, and limitations of localism, suggesting these tensions can serve as entry points for rethinking economic development in shrinking rural contexts.

Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1080/02697459.2025.2596155

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