Understanding the interplay of contextual factors affecting the integration of land use and transport planning - The Case of MAL 2019 planning process in Helsinki Metropolitan Region, Finland

Abstract

Current policy challenges are complex as they are caused by an interplay of natural and anthropogenic phenomena, traversing environmental, social, financial and bureaucratic borders. A key problem in public policies is their fragmented approach to such challenges. The urgency to move away from fragmented public policies has been visible within land use planning and transport planning. Inability to respond to the global crises due to hierarchical and sectoral fragmentation creates new demands for the practices of land use planning and transport planning. An integrated land use and transport planning approach bringing together diverse forms of sectoral expertise, different planning levels and separate administrative units has been proposed to address issues contributing to the global crises. However, regardless of how widely recognised the need for land use and transport planning integration is, effective processes of such integration have proven difficult. There has been a lack of academic research which provides insights into the convoluted nature of conditions influencing the integration of land use and transport planning processes, and elucidates the conditions for their effective implementation from a perspective acknowledging the multi-faceted and situated nature of integrated planning processes. Accordingly, the objective of this research is to provide in-depth process knowledge into the integration of land use and transport planning, by identifying and discussing the interplay of contextual factors affecting integrated processes. This research examines the integration of transport planning and land use planning processes in MAL 2019 planning process in Helsinki Metropolitan Region, Finland. The MAL 2019 planning process is a special case as it is a process specifically designed for integrating land use planning and transport system planning processes. In order to study the lived experiences of planning actors, this research employed interviews and policy document analysis, with supporting validation and visualisation methods. The research also includes a systematic review of factors affecting the MAL 2019 planning process. The findings of this doctoral research shed light on how the context of an integrated land use and transport planning process emerges through the interdependencies between different factors making up the context. The findings emphasise the importance of situating integrated planning processes within their specific contexts, acknowledging the complexity and historical development of factors influencing these processes. The findings challenge the notion of applying "best practice" examples universally and highlight the need to understand what works within each unique context. The findings point towards the most influential contextual factors, providing insights for process design in the context of the MAL 2019 planning process, which can offer valuable lessons to other governance contexts, as well. This knowledge allows for targeted and context-specific recommendations to improve integrated planning processes, enabling planning organisations to enhance their governance capacity.