Elements of socially sustainable innovation processes in Finnish urban development

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to study socially sustainable innovation processes in urban development. Which elements can be identified to support socially sustainable innovation processes in urban development and how were the elements realized in urban innovation processes in Finland in 2013 and 2015 are the research questions. According to the literature review, socially sustainable innovation processes include an open and interactive development approach, resident and user‐driven involvement, communication, learning and feedback, and impact assessment. To track the elements in practice a qualitative approach using case‐based research was conducted. The results reveal that urban development processes in Finland could not be considered socially sustainable because the elements are realized differently. Although many current processes include resident participation, impact assessment is lacking. The study also presents a strategy for how to create more socially sustainable urban innovation processes.