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Research article2024Peer reviewedOpen access

The Sustainability Walk – Combining Nudging and Pragmatism to Facilitate Collective Action and Reflection

Westin, Martin: Joosse, Sofie; Möckel, Fanny; et al.

Abstract

Nudging is increasingly used in the design and planning of houses, neighbourhoodsand districts with the intention to promote sustainable behaviour. Nudging, when used well, can serve as a tool for changing individuals’ behaviour, but it cannot, nor has it been designed to, facilitate the critical thinking and collective action needed to address urgent sustainability challenges. The purpose of this study is to investigate how pragmatism’s interest in social interactions can complement nudging’s focus on individual behaviour. To test these ideas in practice, we develop an approach for planning that combines the two modes of thinking −The Sustainability Walk−to be used in the planning of places that are to promote sustainable everyday practices. We draw lessons from developing TheSustainability Walkby using the learning history method and participant observation. We find that pragmatism offers possibilities to amend nudging’s focus on individual behaviour by providing tools for forming a community of inquiry consisting of experts as well as citizens. However, we also learn that planning cultures of conflict avoidance, hinder the practical application of the idea of such pragmatist inquiry across different ways of knowing.

Keywords

nudging; pragmatism; planning; sustainability; place making

Published in

Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration
2024, volume: 28, number: 2, pages: 40 -57

SLU Authors

UKÄ Subject classification

Social Sciences Interdisciplinary

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.2023.14134

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/140231