ABSTRACT
This introductory chapter addresses the problem that global visions and approaches to sustainable development are often not aligned in terms of their local implementation. It explains why the concept of sustainable development can be perceived as an empty signifier that invites different, incoherent approaches to sustainable urban development—including in the European Arctic. In this chapter, we further illustrate why a focus on the European Arctic, which we consider an exemplary remote region, provides important insights on the question of how societies observe, interpret, and approach places that are subject to substantial transformations. Following the understanding that cities are drivers of change, we introduce seven cities located in the European Arctic that we investigated to better understand why policies for sustainable urban development are not aligned across governance levels in remote regions. Our results emphasise the human dimension in policy-making on sustainable urban development and indicate that remoteness is a factor complicating cooperation, collaboration, and policy-alignment but that it is not the only one. Among the other factors are different perceptions of international agreements, different self-perceptions, aspirations, and realities at the local level as well as limited institutional and human capacities and engagement in transnational cooperation. After outlining the structure of this book, this chapter critically reflects upon the methodology and positionality of the researchers who conducted the research presented in this book.
