“And there is no smokescreen” – the selection of the location for a regional recycling park examined through regime theory

This thesis examines the informal planning of urban land use and its connections to formal planning processes. The main objective is to investigate how a specific urban governance model, regime theory, functions as an analytical tool for understanding and analysing urban and regional planning. The study also explores the factors that influence planning and the role of the local press as part of the alliance's activities. The regime theory forms the core of the analysis. The research is grounded in critical social research and uses an in-depth case study approach. The data consists of official documents, various reports, and articles from regional and local newspapers.

The case study focuses on the selection of a site for a regional recycling park in the Lahti region. Lahti, which was later awarded the title of European Green Capital, initially sought to locate the waste center in the neighbouring municipality of Nastola but withdrew after facing resident opposition. Hollola was subsequently selected as the new target municipality. The case was divided into four interrelated regional subprojects, each analysed through regime theory perspectives. The analysis also draws on planning influence studies, media research, and insights from business and behavioural economics.

The findings reveal a closed, Lahti-driven alliance characterized by tight coordination and a shared sense of secrecy. In this case, representative democratic processes were sidelined, and manipulative practices were used. Informal planning, zoning, and official communication related to the project displayed features of influence that limited residents’ access to information and opportunities for participation. The location study produced by the alliance was technically and interactively inadequate, and it discriminated against the target municipality. The alliance worked actively to build legitimacy, and the local press functioned effectively as a tool for this communication.

The study develops a new, combined regime that complements earlier research. It introduces additional dimensions to governance analysis, including the importance of agenda-setting and framing, as well as the assessment of a project’s efficiency and effectiveness.