Participatory Design as a Tool to Create Resourceful Communities in Sweden

For decades, alternative (to carbon) sources of energy in Sweden have been linked to hydroand nuclear power. However, this is set to change as the Swedish government’s agenda has placed extraordinary emphasis on renewables. The implementation of renewables in Sweden poses several challenges. Literature shows that two main aspects deter local communities from embracing large renewable projects: lack of acceptance (of the impacts) and lack of participation (in the making and benefits). Sweden has a long tradition of stakeholder engagement in state-funded projects in the form of participatory meetings and written feedbacks. However, other participatory techniques are less established. Since 2014, we have engaged in research projects dealing with energy landscapes, design thinking, and what we have recently named “resourceful communities”. The aim of this chapter is to report on the results of our recent projects that engage with the above-mentioned concepts/ strategies to foster collaboration and understanding between end-users and other stakeholders.