Papers by Mikael Cullberg
Fisheries, sustainability and development : fifty-two authors on coexistence and development of f... more Fisheries, sustainability and development : fifty-two authors on coexistence and development of fisheries and aquaculture in developing and developed countries
Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Jun 9, 2014
Fisheries, sustainability and development : fifty-two authors on coexistence and development of f... more Fisheries, sustainability and development : fifty-two authors on coexistence and development of fisheries and aquaculture in developing and developed countries
This working paper examines urban sustainability policy in the Gothenburg Region and how the loca... more This working paper examines urban sustainability policy in the Gothenburg Region and how the local and regional actors in the Gothenburg Region have chosen to jointly define it. It is part of an international research project funded under the auspices of Mistra Urban Futures, Centre for Sustainable Urban Development (). The research project studies knowledge, governance and sustainable development policy in four cities: Manchester (UK), Capetown (South Africa), Kisumu (Kenya) and Gothenburg (Sweden). The overall purpose of the project is to generate knowledge, which can develop alternatives to current policies for a more sustainable society by adopting trans-disciplinary research strategies in which research and practice are closely linked.
Shelf seas and large upwelling areas along the eastern side of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans oc... more Shelf seas and large upwelling areas along the eastern side of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans occupy 10 percent of the global ocean, but stands for some 80 percent of all marine fisheries. The deep ocean on the other hand, covering some 80 percent of the area, stands for a maximum of 15 percent of the fisheries. Here, the physical reasons (ocean circulation, including upwelling and mixing) behind these large differences in yield are discussed. Nutrient supply from land, and efficient nutrient recirculation due to mixing by tides and winds, enhance primary phytoplankton productivity and fish yields in the shelf seas. A strong upward flux of water and nutrients from intermediate depths boosts productivity and fish yields in upwelling areas. 1. Illustrations to the continental drift may be found at the web site of USGS; .
Local Environment, 2017
Studies on urban sustainability policy often analyse what it is, could or should be in terms of c... more Studies on urban sustainability policy often analyse what it is, could or should be in terms of contents, objectives and rationale. Often neglected, however, is what sustainability discourse actually "does". For this article, we explored the function of sustainability discourse in a collaborative metropolitan governance process of 1998-2014 that resulted in an infrastructural strategy aiming for "sustainable growth" in the Gothenburg Metropolitan Area (GMA). We asked why sustainability had become a hegemonic concept in urban politics despite the paradoxical decoupling of objectives, outputs and outcomes from environmental protection and social equity in policy achievement. We argue that sustainability works as a vehicular idea that brings significant value to fragile governance arenas by functioning as a linguistic political mechanism with no essence other than the capability to attract positive affections for any coalition of actors with the power to mobilise others. In the GMA, sustainability served as a cohesive and mobilising discourse empowering a coalition of technoeconomic experts to "get things done" and make an unruly city region governable enough to develop infrastructure perceived as crucial for the advancement of economic-growth projects.
Local Environment, 2017
Studies on urban sustainability policy often analyse what it is, could or should be in terms of c... more Studies on urban sustainability policy often analyse what it is, could or should be in terms of contents, objectives and rationale. Often neglected, however, is what sustainability discourse actually "does". For this article, we explored the function of sustainability discourse in a collaborative metropolitan governance process of 1998-2014 that resulted in an infrastructural strategy aiming for "sustainable growth" in the Gothenburg Metropolitan Area (GMA). We asked why sustainability had become a hegemonic concept in urban politics despite the paradoxical decoupling of objectives, outputs and outcomes from environmental protection and social equity in policy achievement. We argue that sustainability works as a vehicular idea that brings significant value to fragile governance arenas by functioning as a linguistic political mechanism with no essence other than the capability to attract positive affections for any coalition of actors with the power to mobilise others. In the GMA, sustainability served as a cohesive and mobilising discourse empowering a coalition of technoeconomic experts to "get things done" and make an unruly city region governable enough to develop infrastructure perceived as crucial for the advancement of economic-growth projects.
The purpose of this report is to examine how coherent the Gothenburg Region’s sustainability poli... more The purpose of this report is to examine how coherent the Gothenburg Region’s sustainability policy is, taking the “Sustainable growth” strategy as a starting-point. We examine three aspects of cohesion: organisational cohesion, the relationship between the different dimensions of sustainability and the correlation between ideas, policies and outcomes. Overall, we found that the Gothenburg Region has a coherent policy for sustainable development in terms of organisational collaboration. The political will among municipal leaders, various forms of networking and GR’s five consultation processes with councillors in the municipalities of the Gothenburg Region have resulted in a number of different background papers and strategy documents which express a coherent idea of how the Gothenburg Region should be developed.
Studies on urban sustainability policy often analyse what it is, could or should be in terms of c... more Studies on urban sustainability policy often analyse what it is, could or should be in terms of contents, objectives and rationale. Often neglected, however, is what sustainability discourse actually “does”. For this article, we explored the function of sustainability discourse in a collaborative metropolitan governance process of 1998–2014 that resulted in an infrastructural strategy aiming for “sustainable growth” in the Gothenburg Metropolitan Area (GMA). We asked why sustainability had become a hegemonic concept in urban politics despite the paradoxical decoupling of objectives, outputs and outcomes from environmental protection and social equity in policy achievement. We argue that sustainability works as a vehicular idea that brings significant value to fragile governance arenas by functioning as a linguistic political mechanism with no essence other than the capability to attract positive affections for any coalition of actors with the power to mobilise others. In the GMA, sustainability served as a cohesive and mobilising discourse empowering a coalition of techno-economic experts to “get things done” and make an unruly city region governable enough to develop infrastructure perceived as crucial for the advancement of economic-growth projects.
Local Interaction Platforms (LIPs) are core tools in Mistra Urban Futures’ vision
of Realising Ju... more Local Interaction Platforms (LIPs) are core tools in Mistra Urban Futures’ vision
of Realising Just Cities. But how can a Local Interaction Platform (LIP) be defined?
What conditions must be in place before setting up a LIP? This chapter investigates what LIPs are and how they came to be established. It examines, too, the importance of the LIPs approach in light of the United Nations’ 2016 Sustainable Development Agenda which expects governments to establish national frameworks for achievement of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and that all stakeholders – governments, academia, civil society and the private sector, and others –
contribute to realising the agenda. With their transdisciplinary approach and
focus on co-producing knowledge, LIPs have become a key methodology for realising Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals – just and sustainable cities.
Four LIP directors – Stephen Agong from Kisumu, Mikael Cullberg from Gothenburg, Beth Perry from Greater Manchester and Warren Smit from Cape Town – together with the director of Mistra Urban Futures, David Simon, dig deeper into what
the Local Interaction Platforms really represent. They share their personal views on LIPs and discuss what roles LIPs play in Mistra Urban Futures’ mission. We uncover what is meant by platform and interaction, and how to achieve active intermediation. Finally we explore what lessons have been learned so far from working through LIPs. The chapter is based on an interview session with Ylva Norén Bretzer in March 2016.
The purpose of this report is to examine how coherent the Gothenburg Region’s sustainability poli... more The purpose of this report is to examine how coherent the Gothenburg Region’s sustainability policy is, taking the “Sustainable growth” strategy as a starting-point. We
examine three aspects of cohesion: organisational cohesion, the relationship between the different dimensions of sustainability and the correlation between ideas, policies and
outcomes. Overall, we found that the Gothenburg Region has a coherent policy for sustainable development in terms of organisational collaboration. The political will among
municipal leaders, various forms of networking and GR’s five consultation processes with councillors in the municipalities of the Gothenburg Region have resulted in a number of different background papers and strategy documents which express a coherent idea of how the Gothenburg Region should be developed.
Urban governance for sustainable development (SD) can in Sweden, for several reasons, be given a ... more Urban governance for sustainable development (SD) can in Sweden, for several reasons, be given a privileged position. By scrutinizing such a promise case, illustrated with a case study of a city regional collaborative governance process in 2002-2014 in the Gothenburg Metropolitan Area (GMA), the aim is to give insights on how city regional collaborative governance arrangements address SD and what story lines regarding SD are deployed. In GMA and its city regional body of governance, the narrative of weak sustainability privileging economic growth, regional enlargement and urban densification is advanced by a cohesive discourse coalition. While critical coalitions are present, stronger SD narratives are not structured or institutionalized in the strategies. The article contributes empirical insights in how the discourse coalitions became dominating and discusses some factors involved in the adoption of the weak SD narrative and the potential for stronger interpretations in future processes
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Papers by Mikael Cullberg
of Realising Just Cities. But how can a Local Interaction Platform (LIP) be defined?
What conditions must be in place before setting up a LIP? This chapter investigates what LIPs are and how they came to be established. It examines, too, the importance of the LIPs approach in light of the United Nations’ 2016 Sustainable Development Agenda which expects governments to establish national frameworks for achievement of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and that all stakeholders – governments, academia, civil society and the private sector, and others –
contribute to realising the agenda. With their transdisciplinary approach and
focus on co-producing knowledge, LIPs have become a key methodology for realising Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals – just and sustainable cities.
Four LIP directors – Stephen Agong from Kisumu, Mikael Cullberg from Gothenburg, Beth Perry from Greater Manchester and Warren Smit from Cape Town – together with the director of Mistra Urban Futures, David Simon, dig deeper into what
the Local Interaction Platforms really represent. They share their personal views on LIPs and discuss what roles LIPs play in Mistra Urban Futures’ mission. We uncover what is meant by platform and interaction, and how to achieve active intermediation. Finally we explore what lessons have been learned so far from working through LIPs. The chapter is based on an interview session with Ylva Norén Bretzer in March 2016.
examine three aspects of cohesion: organisational cohesion, the relationship between the different dimensions of sustainability and the correlation between ideas, policies and
outcomes. Overall, we found that the Gothenburg Region has a coherent policy for sustainable development in terms of organisational collaboration. The political will among
municipal leaders, various forms of networking and GR’s five consultation processes with councillors in the municipalities of the Gothenburg Region have resulted in a number of different background papers and strategy documents which express a coherent idea of how the Gothenburg Region should be developed.
of Realising Just Cities. But how can a Local Interaction Platform (LIP) be defined?
What conditions must be in place before setting up a LIP? This chapter investigates what LIPs are and how they came to be established. It examines, too, the importance of the LIPs approach in light of the United Nations’ 2016 Sustainable Development Agenda which expects governments to establish national frameworks for achievement of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and that all stakeholders – governments, academia, civil society and the private sector, and others –
contribute to realising the agenda. With their transdisciplinary approach and
focus on co-producing knowledge, LIPs have become a key methodology for realising Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals – just and sustainable cities.
Four LIP directors – Stephen Agong from Kisumu, Mikael Cullberg from Gothenburg, Beth Perry from Greater Manchester and Warren Smit from Cape Town – together with the director of Mistra Urban Futures, David Simon, dig deeper into what
the Local Interaction Platforms really represent. They share their personal views on LIPs and discuss what roles LIPs play in Mistra Urban Futures’ mission. We uncover what is meant by platform and interaction, and how to achieve active intermediation. Finally we explore what lessons have been learned so far from working through LIPs. The chapter is based on an interview session with Ylva Norén Bretzer in March 2016.
examine three aspects of cohesion: organisational cohesion, the relationship between the different dimensions of sustainability and the correlation between ideas, policies and
outcomes. Overall, we found that the Gothenburg Region has a coherent policy for sustainable development in terms of organisational collaboration. The political will among
municipal leaders, various forms of networking and GR’s five consultation processes with councillors in the municipalities of the Gothenburg Region have resulted in a number of different background papers and strategy documents which express a coherent idea of how the Gothenburg Region should be developed.