Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to shed light on co-creative approaches for place innovation in an Arctic town, based on the relocation of Kiruna’s city center in northern Sweden. Three cases of co-creative innovation processes in Kiruna are investigated and compared: an R&D project about local perceptions and visions of attractive urban environments; an R&D project about norm-creative design principles for inclusive and attractive urban design; and an R&D project about cross-industrial synergies for city center attractiveness.Design/methodology/approachThe study’s research design encompasses a comparative and participatory approach. The comparative approach implies investigation and comparison of three cases of co-creative innovation processes in Kiruna. The participatory approach implies joint development of new knowledge by researchers and local actors. The data consists of participatory observations of workshops and qualitative interviews with local actors.FindingsThe study reveals that the studied processes have harnessed the city center relocation as an opportunity to make Kiruna more attractive to residents and visitors, by using the co-creative approaches of Living Lab, Now-Wow-How and Norm-creative design. These approaches have enabled experts and local actors to jointly identify excluding patterns and norms in the relocation process and to envision inclusive and attractive (re-)configurations and (re-)conceptualizations of the future Kiruna.Research limitations/implicationsThe results add to the academic strand of inclusive urban transformation, by providing insights into co-creative approaches for re-imagining an Arctic town in times of industrial and social change. New insights are provided regarding how the geographical, industrial and cultural identity of an Arctic town can be harnessed to envision new configuration, content and communication that is attractive and accessible for a diversity of residents and visitors.Practical implicationsThe results highlight the potential to harness Arctic and rural characteristics in the promotion of urban attractiveness and public well-being, especially when combined with co-creative identification and transformation of excluding norms and patterns.Originality/valueThe results provide new insights into how co-creative approaches may facilitate innovative and inclusive renewal of towns and cities in the Arctic and beyond.
Highlights
Arctic cities and towns – generally located in rural regions with harsh climate, sparse population, long distances and scarce infrastructure – are struggling to find innovative solutions for attracting existing and potential residents, tourists, entrepreneurs and investors (Copus et al, 2017; Kostenius, 2018; Nyseth and Viken, 2009; Segerstedt and Abrahamsson, 2019)
The results provide new insights into how co-creative approaches may facilitate innovative and inclusive renewal of towns and cities in the Arctic and beyond
The results provide further insight into how co-creative approaches may facilitate innovative and inclusive renewal in the Arctic and beyond
Summary
Arctic cities and towns – generally located in rural regions with harsh climate, sparse population, long distances and scarce infrastructure – are struggling to find innovative solutions for attracting existing and potential residents, tourists, entrepreneurs and investors (Copus et al, 2017; Kostenius, 2018; Nyseth and Viken, 2009; Segerstedt and Abrahamsson, 2019). To imagine new urban configurations and contents in Kiruna, several co-creative innovation processes have been conducted, where local actors – e.g. residents, entrepreneurs and civil servants – have been engaged together with researchers and other experts These processes have generally had an inclusive agenda – envisioning an Arctic town that is attractive to multiple actors and involving a diversity of participants, perspectives and industries. This is part of a larger, global trend of inclusive innovation in general, and inclusive urban transformation in particular (Heeks et al, 2014; Nordregio, 2016)
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