Participatory Design for Small-Scale PV Integration in Heritage Districts: The Case of Öjeby Church Town, Piteå, Sweden

Lars Vikström (), Andrea Luciani and Agatino Rizzo
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Lars Vikström: Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, SE 97187 Lulea, Sweden
Andrea Luciani: Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, SE 97187 Lulea, Sweden
Agatino Rizzo: Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, SE 97187 Lulea, Sweden

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-20

Abstract: The integration of small-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems in heritage districts poses a significant challenge: balancing sustainability and energy transition goals while preserving cultural and historical values. This study addresses the problem that existing planning and regulatory frameworks often exclude residents’ perspectives, leading to solutions that are technically feasible but socially contested. The objective is to explore how residents, as potential prosumers, can be effectively integrated into decision-making processes for PV adoption in heritage districts. Focusing on Öjeby Church Town in Piteå, northern Sweden, we employed transdisciplinary participatory design methods, including stakeholder workshops, interviews, council meetings, and a tailored resident design workshop to capture both explicit and tacit knowledge. These design methods were combined with spatial analysis and visual assessment. The findings reveal that residents favour PV solutions that minimise visual impact on heritage buildings, preferring installations in green and grey infrastructure over direct building integration. The process also enhanced awareness, legitimacy, and agency among participants, while exposing regulatory gaps, ownership complexities, and aesthetic tensions. The study contributes a replicable participatory framework that integrates community values with technical and heritage expertise, offering a pathway toward value-sensitive energy transitions in protected cultural environments.

Keywords: participatory design; urban energy transition; cultural heritage districts; photovoltaics; prosumers (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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