Foto: Karoline O.A. Pettersen
Foto: Karoline O.A. Pettersen

Local communities and governance

The research group "Local communities and governance" consists of researchers with a particular interest in local and regional planning, restructuring and innovation, democracy and governance, as well as sustainable local and regional development, public health and "well-being".
In our projects, we collaborate with public and private actors on planning and sustainable service production as well as local and regional business, labor market and population development.

We work to a large extent with interdisciplinary issues at different geographical levels. The research group has both qualitative and quantitative research and investigation expertise across disciplines such as sociology, geography, political science, anthropology, ethnography, cartography and demography. Academic interests range widely - from local democracy, planning and regional development to tourism, transport and geopolitics. Common is the interest in local development in light of the major changes in society. Our portfolio consists, among other things, of projects where we work with local implementation of the UN's sustainability goals, including by translating and giving meaning to the sustainability goals in local and regional contexts. Several of us have a particular perspective on district municipalities and the northern regions, and we are also involved in projects around larger cities and regions.

Our project portfolio ranges from small commissioned projects where we collaborate with one or a few municipalities or county councils to larger contribution projects financed by the Research Council of Norway and the Regional Research Fund. Several of our researchers also participate in larger EU projects.
Leader
Senior Researcher
Senior Researcher
Senior Researcher
Research Professor, part-time post
Senior Researcher
Senior Researcher
Senior Researcher