Local Planning Research Articles

Sea surface microplastics in the Galapagos: Grab samples reveal high concentrations of particles

Plastic pollution in the oceans is increasing, yet most global sea surface data is collected using plankton nets which limits our knowledge of the smaller and more bioaccessible size fraction of microplastics (<5 mm). We sampled the biodiverse coastal waters of the Galapagos Island of San Cristobal, comparing two different microplastic sampling methodologies; 1 l whole seawater grab samples filtered to 1.2 μm and sea surface plankton tows with a net mesh size of 200 μm. Our data reveal high concentrations of microplastics in Galapagos coastal waters surrounding the urban area, averaging 11.5 ± 1.48 particles l−1, with a four-order of magnitude increase in microplastic abundance observed using grab sampling compared with 200 μm plankton nets. This increase was greater when including anthropogenic cellulose particles, averaging 19.8 ± 1.86 particles l−1. Microplastic and anthropogenic cellulose particles smaller than 200 μm comprised 44 % of the particles from grab samples, suggesting previous estimates of microplastic pollution based on plankton nets likely miss and therefore underestimate these smaller particles. The particle characteristics and distribution of these smaller particles points strongly to a local input of cellulosic fibres in addition to the microplastic particles transported longer distances via the Humbolt current found across the surface seawater of the Galapagos. Improving our understanding of particle characteristics and distributions to highlight likely local sources will facilitate the development of local mitigation and management plans to reduce the input and impacts of microplastics to marine species, not just in the Galapagos but globally.

Development of a Pharmacy Point-of-Dispensing Toolkit for Anthrax Post-Exposure Prophylaxis for Allegheny County Postal Workers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Postal Service (USPS) consider anthrax to be a potential threat to USPS workers. A county health department-owned pharmacy supports local USPS response in the event of an exposure. The pharmacy team identified the need to review and update the local anthrax response plan. A Pharmacy Point-of-Dispensing Toolkit and response plan for initial 10-day post-exposure antibiotic prophylaxis was developed for use by a local health department in the event of a mass anthrax exposure at a US Post Office sorting facility. The pharmacist's role in medical countermeasures planning for anthrax exposure is also discussed to illustrate how pharmacists' medication expertise can be utilized. The CDC's Public Health Preparedness Capabilities: National Standards for State and Local Planning framework and inputs from an interprofessional stakeholder team were used to develop a Medical Countermeasures Response Plan and Implementation Toolkit for mass point-of-dispensing (POD) in the event of an anthrax exposure. Stakeholders attended a USPS Community Partner Training event where additional revisions to the toolkit were made. The toolkit and standing order are now implemented at the local health department to be reviewed and updated on a yearly basis by health department leadership. Pharmacists can use their medication expertise and experience with patient education to design emergency response plans focused on increasing patient safety and medication adherence. Pharmacists should be involved in emergency response and medical countermeasures planning that involve medications.

Российско-американское научное сотрудничество в Арктике в эпоху геополитической турбулентности

Introduction. The article examines cooperation between Russia and the US on Arctic research in the context of the Ukrainian crisis. One of the accompanying tasks is to study the motivations of both sides for continuing such cooperation. Methods and materials. The article uses the so-called liberal intergovernmental approach as a research method, aiming to explain the reasons for cooperation between countries with different socio-political structures and national interests on the world stage. The empirical basis for the study was the documents of international organizations, US and Russian state institutions, as well as research organizations in Russia and the US involved in the study of the Arctic. Analysis. The article demonstrates that currently there are four main levels of US-Russian scientific cooperation in the Arctic: interpersonal (individual), institutional (between various Russian and American organizations), state (government exchange programs), and international (within the framework of multilateral organizations of a global and regional nature). Results. It is concluded that despite the unfriendly actions taken by the US against Russian scientists and organizations, the “mechanism of interdependence” created in previous years did not allow to completely interrupt scientific ties between these countries. Both sides are well aware of the value of cooperation in this area and therefore try to maintain certain channels of interaction. Natural science topics (climate change, meteorology, environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, oceanology, glaciology, etc.) dominate the priorities of US-Russian scientific cooperation in the Arctic. However, socio-humanitarian and interdisciplinary issues (local communities, indigenous peoples, gender studies, urban development and planning, etc.) have recently become increasingly important. The authors believe that scientific cooperation between Russia and the US in the Arctic will revive as the international situation and bilateral relations between the two countries normalize after the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict. Authors’ contribution. V.N. Konyshev: Introduction and Analysis. A.A. Sergunin: Abstract, methods and materials, results, and design of the scientific apparatus.

Is urban spatial expansion on track to achieve low-carbon cities? An empirical comparative study of Xi’an and Chengdu in western China

Rapidly expanding urban areas constitute places of high-intensity energy consumption and, hence, major carbon emissions. There is an urgent need to systematically review the relationship between urban spatial expansion and carbon emissions at the city level, especially for cities in western China where development lags behind compared to other parts of the country, and differences among resource availability exist. Here, we conducted a systematic comparative analysis of carbon emissions and urban expansion indicators for urban spatial development. We introduce and apply an extension of the STIRPAT model to quantify the impact of urban spatial expansion on carbon emissions for the cities of Xi’an and Chengdu located in western China. The model findings indicate that both cities have reached the absolute and relative goal of carbon emissions, although they experienced a sprawling pattern. Moreover, population density for both cities displayed a negative relationship with carbon emissions, whereas road area per capita displayed a positive relationship. Since western cities have a later starting point for development, the empirical research on influencing variables of carbon emissions for western cities is important to local and regional urban spatial planning and governance. We propose further empirical studies regarding the gaps of existing urban spatial structure and low-carbon urban areas, in order to construct a systematic and scientifically sound approach to further low-carbon strategies in urban development.

Estimating multivariate ecological variables at high spatial resolution using a cost‐effective matching algorithm

AbstractSimulation models are valuable tools for estimating ecosystem response to environmental conditions and are particularly relevant for investigating climate change impacts. However, because of high computational requirements, models are often applied over a coarse grid of points or for representative locations. Spatial interpolation of model output can be necessary to guide decision‐making, yet interpolation is not straightforward because the interpolated values must maintain the covariance structure among variables. We present methods for two key steps for utilizing limited simulations to generate detailed maps of multivariate and time series output. First, we present a method to select an optimal set of simulation sites that maximize the area represented for a given number of sites. Then, we introduce a multivariate matching approach to interpolate simulation results to detailed maps for the represented area. This approach links simulation output to environmentally analogous matched sites according to user‐defined criteria. We demonstrate the methods with case studies using output from (1) an individual‐based plant simulation model to illustrate site selection, and (2) an ecosystem water balance simulation model to illustrate interpolation. For the site selection case study, we identified 200 simulation sites that represented 96% of a large study area (1.12 × 106 km2) at a ~1‐km resolution. For the interpolation case study, we generated ~1‐km resolution maps across 4.38 × 106 km2 of drylands in North America from a 10 × 10 km grid of simulated sites. Estimates of interpolation errors using cross validation were low (&lt;10% of the range of each variable). Our point selection and interpolation methods, which are available as an easy‐to‐use R package, provide a means of cost‐effectively generating detailed maps of expensive, complex simulation output (e.g., multivariate and time series) at scales relevant for local conservation planning. Our methods are flexible and allow the user to identify relevant matching criteria to balance interpolation uncertainty with areal coverage to enhance inference and decision‐making at management‐relevant scales across large areas.

CLIMATE PLANNING AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT: ACTORS AND CLIMATE CHANGE MEASURES

Urban development based on anthropogenic systems led to evident urban transformations on a global and local scale. Climate change is the product of these transformations, characterized by weather patterns and ecological systems alterations. These alterations cause impacts on urban dynamics, which generate severe social consequences. It becomes imperative to assume the inevitability of the climate phenomenon and adopt a new management model with adaptation and mitigation actions. The research addresses the climatic phenomenon in Ecuador, specifically in the urban area of Riobamba, emphasizing its planning instruments. The objective is to recognize the scope of local instruments and plans related to climate change and to identify actors involved through a map of actors according to their level of engagement and support for climate change action. The research contemplates a descriptive methodology with a qualitative approach using theoretical and argumentative techniques. The research considers documentary and fieldwork through methods such as documentary analysis, unstructured observation, in-depth interviews with strategic actors, case studies, and self-completed perception surveys of available subjects, corresponding to an exploratory and descriptive level. The results show that the local government did not consider initiatives aimed at climate planning and, despite programs and projects that seek to solve environmental problems, they need to be developed in detail or linked as measures against climate change.

Uncertainty and Triple Access Planning in European Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans: a long way to go yet?

ABSTRACT Triple Access Planning (TAP) is the idea that accessibility can be delivered through physical mobility, digital connectivity, and spatial proximity. There is great uncertainty as to how far one of these three elements will substitute for or complement the others in delivering the accessibility we need in future. Sustainable Urban Mobility (SUM) Planning is touted as a relatively new paradigm in local transport planning oriented to the achievement of a wide range of societal objectives. The paper presents a review of how well SUM Plans from eight European countries, and national guidelines from four currently account for TAP and uncertainty in their approach. Our findings suggest that while the concept of physical proximity is well-understood, other aspects of the TAP and uncertainty approach are not. Digital connectivity is largely ignored. The planning future is treated as largely certain, with no consideration of disruptive factors that might alter this future.

Dynamic models augmented by hierarchical data: an application of estimating HIV epidemics at sub-national level.

Dynamic models have been successfully used in producing estimates of HIV epidemics at the national level due to their epidemiological nature and their ability to estimate prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates simultaneously. Recently, HIV interventions and policies have required more information at sub-national levels to support local planning, decision-making and resource allocation. Unfortunately, many areas lack sufficient data for deriving stable and reliable results, and this is a critical technical barrier to more stratified estimates. One solution is to borrow information from other areas within the same country. However, directly assuming hierarchical structures within the HIV dynamic models is complicated and computationally time-consuming. In this article, we propose a simple and innovative way to incorporate hierarchical information into the dynamical systems by using auxiliary data. The proposed method efficiently uses information from multiple areas within each country without increasing the computational burden. As a result, the new model improves predictive ability and uncertainty assessment.

Evaluation of atmospheric indicators in the Adriatic coastal areas: a multi-hazards approach for a better awareness of the current and future climate

Increasing climate resilience to global warming is one of the main challenges of the last few decades. Effective local measures have to be adopted to provide concrete solutions to the current and expected impacts of climate change. This is the goal of the AdriaClim Italia-Croatia Interreg Project (https://www.italy-croatia.eu/web/adriaclim), aimed at supporting the development of regional and local climate change adaptation plans for the Adriatic coastal regions. For this purpose, an exhaustive number of atmospheric climate indicators have been identified and evaluated across nine pilot areas to assess the current and expected main climate hazards affecting these regions, considering the worst-case emissions scenario (Representative Concentration Pathway RCP 8.5). The proposed analyses are provided by the results of the regional climate atmospheric model developed within the AdriaClim Project. The selected climate indicators are used to assess the possible evolution of the climate hazard across the pilot areas, covering different hazards, such as thermal discomfort, drought, and hydrological instability. A site-dependent investigation of the atmospheric climate indicators is proposed to emphasize which regions are more affected than others by the investigated climate hazards, thus warranting more attention in defining and proposing new adaptation strategies. The results highlight increasing temperatures (up to +3°C) across the Adriatic coastal regions, with more emphasis on the Northern Adriatic, where the combined effect with the relevant decrease in precipitation (down to −2 mm/day) may lead to severe drought conditions in the coming decades. In contrast, precipitation-related diseases may hit more Central and South Italy than the Northern Adriatic, except for the Emilia-Romagna region, which is found to be highly sensitive to both hazard categories. Finally, it is relevant to emphasize that these analyses have to be carefully considered in supporting adaptation strategies due to the lack of uncertainty estimates representing a fundamental element for decision-makers.

Hybrid path planning method for USV using bidirectional A* and improved DWA considering the manoeuvrability and COLREGs

This paper proposes a hybrid dynamic path planning algorithm that integrates global path planning (GPP) and local path planning (LPP). The objective is to effectively address the challenges associated with path planning and collision avoidance for unmanned surface vehicles (USV) in complex environments. The bidirectional A* algorithm is used to search the optimized strategy based on the actual geographical information map for the navigation routes of USV. The Dynamic Window Algorithm (DWA) is employed, and a novel cost function is formulated considering the USV's manoeuvring characteristics, dynamic constraints, and environmental information. The primary purpose is to ensure the compliance of the USV with COLREGs during dynamic obstacle avoidance. It accomplishes this by providing positive reinforcement for achieving the correct turning speed when the USV determines the orientation of an approaching ship. Another evaluation function is introduced to mitigate the problem of local optima in complex environments that the LPP may encounter. The actual work map is used to model the application scenario with the obstacles in the presence of incoming ships, the simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is capable of generating adaptive, collision-free routes while adhering to COLREGs rules.

Covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy based on ensemble of mutations for parking navigation and maneuver of autonomous vehicles

Previous works have demonstrated the use of human-inspired frameworks to address autonomous vehicle parking. In such frameworks, autonomous vehicle parking is formulated as a two-stage optimization problem where the first stage involves the generation of initial waypoints which are consequently used to reduce the autonomous parking task into a local motion planning task. In the second stage, the local motion planning is solved as a classical optimization problem. However, the overall algorithmic performance in the second stage depends on the planning horizon used to formulate the local planning task. In this work, we show first that the state-of-the-art algorithms often employed in the second stage fail with an increase in the planning horizon. Motivated by the need for algorithms that are scalable to different planning horizons, this work proposes Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES) with an ensemble of mutations for the second stage. Specifically, the proposed algorithm features an ensemble of Gaussian- and Cauchy-based mutations to facilitate an efficient blend of both exploitation and exploration that is crucial for both short and long horizons. Furthermore, to handle the associated constraints, Superiority of Feasible (SF) constraint handling technique is incorporated into the proposed algorithm. Performance analysis based on 24 parking missions conducted with planning horizons of 2 and 4 shows that the proposed algorithm is scalable to different planning horizons compared with three commonly employed state-of-the-art algorithms.

Complexity and interdependence in local mineral extraction planning: The Nasa Mountain Quartz Case in Northern Norway

The Green Transition demands mineral extraction. The importance for Europe to gain independence from China within this area is also high on the political agenda, which has resulted in a renewal of interest in mineral-extraction in the Nordic countries, including Norway. Despite the increasing demand at the global, European and national level, the planning process itself though takes place at the local level, raising issues of complexities, contradictions and dependencies. This study focuses on the Nasa Mountain Quartz Case in Northern Norway,and finds that the local mineral extraction planning process is best described as a “wicked problem”. Different local concerns – regional development vs environmental concerns and violation of reindeer areas in a cross-border context - as well as different global demands and conventions - contradict each other, making the presumably limited local planning process of Rana municipality quite demanding, crossing sectorial and the local, national and global/EU domain. Increased understanding and awareness of this is needed at all levels.

Addressing land use planning: A methodology for assessing pre- and post-landslide event urban configurations

With urban areas projected to accommodate 68 % of the global population by 2050, the imperative for inclusive, safe, and sustainable cities becomes paramount. In the timeline of urban centers, landslides represent one of the most destructive phenomena, involving several resources allocation with private and public investments, sometimes claiming human lives. By synergically connecting environmental, planning, and configurational spheres, this study seeks to support the proactive management of landslide risk. The proposed three-step methodology allowed to quantify the environmental features involved in landslide occurrence, evaluate planning framework vulnerabilities, and suggest alternative configurations for urban areas that experienced landslides.The methodology has been applied to the case study involving a tragic landslide in Casamicciola Terme (Italy) in November 2022.First, the stream network and the drainage basin corresponding to confluence point of the landslide into the sea have been calculated (environmental elaborations). Subsequently, these elaborations have been overlapped with the runoff mitigation and the sediment deposition layers, extracted through the INVEST software. Secondly, the reconnaissance of the local and superordinate planning levels has been realized, to deepen planning tools cogency on the study area, contextually deepening the constraints that characterize it. From the overlapping of these two steps, free landslide risk areas have been located. Finally, based on the available territorial surface (Sta) and the territorial cover ratio (Rct), two territorial configuration scenarios have been proposed, envisaging the relocation of the buildings involved into the landslide. Results show that landslide originated by three out of five gullies. Some portions of the urban areas of Casamicciola Terme are still under high and very high hydrogeological risk. Contextually, it emerges poor attention from the local planners to the superordinate planning framework. Historic settlement has an Rct of 33.64 %, while areas in which relocate the built up show an Rct of 32,45 % for scenario 1 and 27,9 % for scenario 2.The methodology resulted useful to address planning vulnerabilities, supporting the realization of alternative configurational scenarios. We expect our research to contribute to the evolving field of disaster risk reduction, by providing a systematic approach to manage landslide risk.

Route Planning Algorithms for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs): A Comprehensive Analysis

This review paper provides a structured analysis of obstacle avoidance and route planning algorithms for unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) spanning both numerical simulations and real-world applications. Our investigation encompasses the development of USV route planning from the year 2000 to date, classifying it into two main categories: global and local route planning. We emphasize the necessity for future research to embrace a dual approach incorporating both simulation-based assessments and real-world field tests to comprehensively evaluate algorithmic performance across diverse scenarios. Such evaluation systems offer valuable insights into the reliability, endurance, and adaptability of these methodologies, ultimately guiding the development of algorithms tailored to specific applications and evolving demands. Furthermore, we identify the challenges to determining optimal collision avoidance methods and recognize the effectiveness of hybrid techniques in various contexts. Remarkably, artificial potential field, reinforcement learning, and fuzzy logic algorithms emerge as standout contenders for real-world applications as consistently evaluated in simulated environments. The innovation of this paper lies in its comprehensive analysis and critical evaluation of USV route planning algorithms validated in real-world scenarios. By examining algorithms across different time periods, the paper provides valuable insights into the evolution, trends, strengths, and weaknesses of USV route planning technologies. Readers will benefit from a deep understanding of the advancements made in USV route planning. This analysis serves as a road map for researchers and practitioners by furnishing insights to advance USV route planning and collision avoidance techniques.

An international comparison of the scope and instruments of local spatial planning

This article analyses (based on multidimensional criteria) land-use plans at a local level (using selected cities as examples) and their relationships to crucial planning issues identified at both national and local levels. The planning approaches of cities from the following countries were compared: Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, China, Ghana, Iran, Mexico, Mongolia, Portugal and Poland. These countries are diverse in terms of their legal, political, cultural and geographical perspectives. Across these diverse countries, comparisons were made of local spatial plans (as enacted in specific cities), with regard to their legal features. From this, directions for a possible universal debate of local-level spatial plans as currently emerging is proposed. Based on the comparison undertaken, it is possible that the spatial plans studied designate zones of land use and detailed principles (including parameters) of development for cities. In some countries, attempts have also been made for the plans to solve spatial problems more broadly, for example by linking strategic planning objectives with the spatial development sphere. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/

Life cycle assessment as a prospective tool for sustainable agriculture and food planning at a local level

Owing to the far-reaching environmental consequences of agriculture and food systems, such as their contribution to climate change, there is an urgent need to reduce their impact. International and national governments set sustainability targets and implement corresponding measures. Nevertheless, critics of the globalized system claim that a territorial administrative scale is better suited to address sustainability issues. Yet, at the sub-national level, local authorities rarely apply a systemic environmental assessment to enhance their action plans. This paper employs a territorial life cycle assessment methodology to improve local environmental agri-food planning. The objective is to identify significant direct and indirect environmental hotspots, their origins, and formulate effective mitigation strategies. The methodology is applied to the administrative department of Finistere, a strategic agricultural region in North-Western France. Multiple environmental criteria including climate change, fossil resource scarcity, toxicity, and land use are modeled. The findings reveal that the primary environmental hotspots of the studied local food system arise from indirect sources, such as livestock feed or diesel consumption. Livestock reduction and organic farming conversion emerge as the most environmentally efficient strategies, resulting in a 25% decrease in the climate change indicator. However, the overall modeled impact reduction is insufficient following national objectives and remains limited for the land use indicator. These results highlight the innovative application of life cycle assessment led at a local level, offering insights for the further advancement of systematic and prospective local agri-food assessment. Additionally, they provide guidance for local authorities to enhance the sustainability of planning strategies.

Path-Planning Strategy: Adaptive Ant Colony Optimization Combined with an Enhanced Dynamic Window Approach

Aiming to resolve the problems of slow convergence speed and inability to plan in real time when ant colony optimization (ACO) performs global path planning, we propose a path-planning method that improves adaptive ant colony optimization (IAACO) with the dynamic window approach (DWA). Firstly, the heuristic information function is modified, and the adaptive adjustment factor is added to speed up the algorithm’s convergence rate; secondly, elite ants and max–min ants systems are implemented to enhance the global pheromone updating process, and an adaptive pheromone volatilization factor is aimed at preventing the algorithm from enhancing its global search capabilities; then, the path optimization and withdrawal mechanism is utilized to enable smoother functioning and to avoid the deadlocks; finally, a new distance function is introduced in the evaluation function of DWA to the enhance real-time obstacle-avoidance ability. The simulation experiment results reveal that the path length of the IAACO can be shortened by 10.1% and 13.7% in contrast to the ACO. The iteration count can be decreased by 63.3% and 63.0%, respectively, leading to an enhanced optimization performance in global path planning and achieving dynamic real-time obstacle avoidance for local path planning.

Investing in Smart Cities: Enhancing Public Libraries for Quality Services in India

ABSTRACT This article comprehensively examines investments in India’s smart cities1 with a specific focus on public libraries. A survey of 100 Smart Cities Mission projects was conducted to gather data on budget allocation and expenditure for public libraries, construction and renovation projects, and IT infrastructure and outreach programs. Results reveal investments in 27 library projects across 12 states geographically distributed throughout India, spanning new library establishments, renovations, digitization efforts, and IT integration with library services. The majority of funds (60%) support new libraries including business and innovation components, while renovation projects claim 30%. The article contributes valuable insights for public library development, targeting library authorities, municipal administrators, and local planners as statutory services at the heart of community development and engagement of public.

Effectiveness of a Disaster Management Education Program among Youth: A Case Study in Three Disaster-prone Provinces

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Environmental Education has emerged to integrate knowledge on the need to conserve and to protect the natural environment and to minimize hazards associated with the polluted environment and natural disasters. The present study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of an environmental education programme conducted among participants of National Youth Corps (NYC) training centres. NYC recruits two batches per annum within the age group of 15–26 years. The survey was carried out in year 2019 for its first batch at three provinces: Southern, North Central and Sabaragamuwa. A workshop was conducted for all the trainees by the Disaster Management Centre followed by a two-day disaster drill programme to apply the theoretical knowledge into practice. Total intake of 5688 NYC recruits were reported in this year. 1062 of them were selected from 8 NYC training centres out of 14 total centres located within the three provinces that are considered as prone to natural disasters. A quota sampling approach was used to obtain a representative sample from these districts. Selected participants were advised to complete two self-administered questionnaires: one before the workshop and the other soon after completion. Knowledge and attitudes were measured, and the scores were compared with the hypothesis that participants reported higher scores after the workshop. Knowledge and attitudes toward disaster preparedness was evaluated before and after conducting the workshop. 71% from Southern province (Tsunami); 60% from Sabaragamuwa (landslide); and 75% of North Central province (flood) reported prior experience of natural disasters. The level of awareness of having either a local disaster management plan or a local person responsible for disaster preparedness was low. Only 14.8% from Southern, 11.0% from North Central, 17.0% from Sabaragamuwa Province knew the presence of a local DMP in which 15.0%, 19.3% and 21.6% respectively, knew the presence of the DM personal. About 75% from Southern province, 64% from North Central province and 84% from Sabaragamuwa province were not aware of the existence of an early warning system. An increase in the positive attitude was observed and the perceived change in behavioral change of the trainees have increased after the study. They were highly motivated in assisting disasters in a real situation and were willing to volunteer in minimizing the environmental hazards associated with environmental degradation. Despite the high motivation, lack of experience indicates the need for inclusion of disaster management training into National Youth Corps curriculum with annual educational activities after the initial training. The assessment framework established by this study could facilitate regular inspection and verify various disaster management tasks, in-order to enhance youth capability in response to disasters.&#x0D; Keywords: Environmental education, Disaster management, Youth, Knowledge enhancement, Attitude change&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Conceptualisations of multilingualism in early childhood teacher education: Ideological and implementational spaces in policy texts

This paper explores how multilingualism is conceptualised in teacher education policy texts and discuss the ideological and implementational spaces for multilingual pedagogy in teacher education. The main focus is Norwegian early childhood teacher education curricula, and the qualitative oriented content analysis of teacher education curricula documents follows three steps. The first step provides an overview of how the content in Norwegian early childhood teacher education is regulated compared to Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. The second step takes a historical perspective, examining how the conceptualisations of multilingualism in Norwegian ECTE have changed from 1971–2018. The third step involves a close reading of local course plans from 12 different Norwegian higher education institutions. Findings show how curriculum content in Norwegian early childhood teacher education related to multilingualism is far more regulated than in the other Nordic countries. The historical analysis reveals how the ideological and implementational spaces have changed over the years by defining multilingualism differently, and how the current national guidelines open the ideological and implementation spaces for multilingualism. Furthermore, the analysis of the 12 local teacher education programs illustrates how these open spaces are implemented in different ways, either in narrowing further the spaces or broadening the spaces. The discussion revolves around how these spaces require different kinds of competencies for both practitioners and teacher educators.