Downscaling the sustainable development goals for the Arctic cities

Abstract Since the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, there has been a growing interest in localizing SDGs through co-designed and participatory approaches. However, the implementation of SDGs in Arctic towns and cities has been the subject of limited research. The unique en...

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Main Authors: Ava Soroudi, Prince Dacosta Aboagye, Jing Ma, Ayyoob Sharifi, Agatino Rizzo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:npj Urban Sustainability
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-025-00209-9
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author Ava Soroudi
Prince Dacosta Aboagye
Jing Ma
Ayyoob Sharifi
Agatino Rizzo
author_facet Ava Soroudi
Prince Dacosta Aboagye
Jing Ma
Ayyoob Sharifi
Agatino Rizzo
author_sort Ava Soroudi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Since the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, there has been a growing interest in localizing SDGs through co-designed and participatory approaches. However, the implementation of SDGs in Arctic towns and cities has been the subject of limited research. The unique environmental, economic, and social conditions of these cities raise questions about the suitability of applying generalized approaches and indicators. To shed light on the unique challenges faced by Arctic cities and to gain insight into local urban development professionals’ perspectives and priorities regarding sustainable urban development, we employed a multidisciplinary approach based on Q-methodology. We focus on towns and cities in the Nordic plus Greenland Arctic. The results reveal seven distinct factors representing both shared perspectives and areas of disagreement on sustainable development. The findings indicate that tailored approaches are necessary for the successful implementation of the SDGs in Arctic cities.
format Article
id doaj-art-d4e21a82cd44414692a224c491e1a41c
institution DOAJ
issn 2661-8001
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
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series npj Urban Sustainability
spelling doaj-art-d4e21a82cd44414692a224c491e1a41c2025-08-20T03:14:03ZengNature Portfolionpj Urban Sustainability2661-80012025-04-015111310.1038/s42949-025-00209-9Downscaling the sustainable development goals for the Arctic citiesAva Soroudi0Prince Dacosta Aboagye1Jing Ma2Ayyoob Sharifi3Agatino Rizzo4Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources, Luleå University of TechnologyGraduate School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nagoya UniversityDepartment of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources, Luleå University of TechnologyThe IDEC Institute, Hiroshima UniversityDepartment of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources, Luleå University of TechnologyAbstract Since the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, there has been a growing interest in localizing SDGs through co-designed and participatory approaches. However, the implementation of SDGs in Arctic towns and cities has been the subject of limited research. The unique environmental, economic, and social conditions of these cities raise questions about the suitability of applying generalized approaches and indicators. To shed light on the unique challenges faced by Arctic cities and to gain insight into local urban development professionals’ perspectives and priorities regarding sustainable urban development, we employed a multidisciplinary approach based on Q-methodology. We focus on towns and cities in the Nordic plus Greenland Arctic. The results reveal seven distinct factors representing both shared perspectives and areas of disagreement on sustainable development. The findings indicate that tailored approaches are necessary for the successful implementation of the SDGs in Arctic cities.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-025-00209-9
spellingShingle Ava Soroudi
Prince Dacosta Aboagye
Jing Ma
Ayyoob Sharifi
Agatino Rizzo
Downscaling the sustainable development goals for the Arctic cities
npj Urban Sustainability
title Downscaling the sustainable development goals for the Arctic cities
title_full Downscaling the sustainable development goals for the Arctic cities
title_fullStr Downscaling the sustainable development goals for the Arctic cities
title_full_unstemmed Downscaling the sustainable development goals for the Arctic cities
title_short Downscaling the sustainable development goals for the Arctic cities
title_sort downscaling the sustainable development goals for the arctic cities
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-025-00209-9
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