Applying Futures Studies and the Strategic Choice Approach in Urban Planning

Since the middle 1970s, urban communities in Sweden have been compelled to plan under increasing political, social and economic uncertainties. After a long spell of crisis management, urban planners have come to realize the need to plan with uncertainty. That implies an explicit understanding of the implications of quantitative as well as qualitative uncertainty. Various approaches for this type of planning have been experimented with, in different urban communities. This paper discusses the application of futures studies in the Municipality of Västerås and of the strategic choice approach in the Municipality of Köping. The aim of the comparative study is to relate the experience in applying the two methodologies and to evaluate the issues as well as contexts to which the two methodologies can be applied.