Browsing by Subject "suunnittelukonflikti"

Researching the development of transport networks and regional impacts of transport networks have a strong tradition in geography research tradition. Research into conflicts in land use is also an important part of geographical research. Conflicts often occur in designing of large infrastructure projects, especially if projects are planned for urban areas and the built environment. Successful handling and resolution of planning conflicts are often essential factors not only from the point of view of the implementation of projects, but also from the point of view of their perceived legitimacy. Planning conflicts may not be clear and predictable, but also complex and multilateral, and those involved in the conflict may not necessarily play only one role during the conflict. This master's thesis examined the conflicts in planning of a large infrastructure project in Vantaa – the Ring Rail Line. The structure of the study is a case study because it examines one specific phenomenon and the factors associated with this phenomenon. In particular, the aim was to examine how the conflicts originated, what they were like in nature and in their involvement, and how they were resolved. The research perspective was the view of the planners who worked for the City of Vantaa and thus became involved in conflicts that occurred in the design of the Ring Rail Line. The view of the Vantaa-based planners was chosen as a research perspective because they supposedly had the most extensive experience of conflicts in the planning process of the Ring Rail Line at different stages of the project, at local, regional and national level. Simultaneously, the research perspective became a Vantaa-based one. The research material consisted primarily of project planning documents, news and other media material related to the project, and interview material produced by semi-structured thematic interviews targeted at selected planners. The theoretical framework for research consisted in particular of conflict theories related to land use planning and general planning theories. Written research material was processed and analyzed by theoretically controlled content analysis, mirroring the research data into a theoretical framework. The interview material was categorized and analyzed accordingly. This allowed conclusions to be drawn from the material on the basis of a theoretical framework and to form an understanding of the conflicts at different stages of the project and the nature and those involved in the conflicts. The research data was categorized using John Agnew's place theory. The material was categorized according to the perceptions of those involved in the conflicts in relation to the target area, significance and potential of the Ring Rail Line. The categorization was substantially complemented by interview material and direct quotes from interviewees. Through the interview material, the viewpoint of the planners was strongly expressed in accordance with the chosen research perspective. Based on categorization and theory-controlled content analysis, it was found that there were four main or most important conflicts in the planning process of the Ring Rail Line. These were the conflict between the cities of Helsinki and Vantaa over the urban structure, the conflict between the City of Vantaa and other municipalities over the growth machine, the conflict between the City of Vantaa, the Finnish state and Finavia over power and interests, and the conflict between the City of Vantaa and the residents over commitment to a place. The four conflicts were not isolated of each other, but all had some similar characteristics and those involved were also partly the same. The analysis of the data also showed that the parties involved in the conflicts also formed a loose strategic alliance with each other, whose members were in turn cooperating and alternately in conflict with each other. A common feature of the consortium was to get the Ring Rail Line implemented, even though there were occasional disagreements about the objectives and significance of the project.