Contradictions and compromises in sustainability planning: The case of the sub-Arctic city of Yakutsk, Russia

Abstract

Sustainability assessment frameworks often fall short of elucidating context-specific conflicts inherent in planning practice and its contribution to diverse sustainability priorities. This study explores the integration of priorities and principles associated with sustainability in the spatial planning of the sub-Arctic city of Yakutsk. It also investigates how conflicting priorities manifest in the city's development. The research involves exploratory interviews with planning stakeholders, an analysis of General Plan iterations, and profiling of two expanding residential areas. Contrasting cases of residential growth untangle tensions between environmental, development, and social dimensions, emphasizing the prioritization of specific aspects over others. The study underscores that these tensions are intricately linked to historical, political, planning, and governance contexts and reflect the complexities of urban development politics. Despite planning documents encompassing a range of principles associated with sustainable planning, current practices prioritize specific dimensions but contradict others. A targeted emphasis on specific sustainability aspects may obscure interests in particular development types and equity compromises. This study raises concerns about the effectiveness of normative evaluations of sustainable planning, overlooking conflicting dimensions evident in practice. It calls for a more in-depth examination of how principles are valued, prioritized, and compromised in specific contexts.