Cities as learning organisations in climate policy: the case of Malmö

Figures & data

Table 1. Local authorities as learning organisations for urban climate policy.

Dimensions	Learning organisation disciplines	Urban climate governance factors
Individual dimension (e.g. politicians, directors and managers)	Personal mastery Personal goals, commitment & vision, centred on learning Foster engagement & commitment of others Leaders as designers, stewards & teachers; responsible for learning	Leadership Policy entrepreneurs with internal vision Key persons, serving in strategic positions with the ability to initiative innovation & keep it in motion Ambitious use of existing powers & recognizing opportunities An emphasis on long-term planning
Internal dimension (e.g. department level and the interactions between departments)	Mental models Beliefs, ideas and principles which grant meaning & build comprehension Moderated by dialogue, communication & message framing Moderated by organisational culture (e.g. trust, low-power distances, leadership and commitment)	Internal communication Message framing (e.g. challenge or opportunity; competing or complementary priorities; issue complexities) Communication & dialogue within and across departmental silos (sectors) A level of trust to speak freely
	Team learning Capacity generated from within: dialogue, communication & commitment Experimentation, risk-taking and innovation encouraged Interactive team learning (e.g. training) A supportive organisational culture & work environment (e.g. future-orientated)	Capacity A dialogue-rich atmosphere Committed employees who share a vision & explore innovative ways to get there Resources (e.g. time, staff, expertise, skills & training, financial assets)
External dimension (e.g. how the organisation relates to others)	Building shared visions Individual visions are shared, to build a common (shared) vision which all relevant parties subscribe to A clear direction of what is expected & how to get there High societal collectivism, openness, trust & social capital are beneficial to develop flexible and creative approaches	Communication & participation Foster comprehension & ownership of city’s climate vision amongst stakeholders Citizens know where to go & feel empowered to participate A degree of informality & flexibility (e.g. learning-by-doing) Creative approaches engage citizens, NGOs and the private sector
	Systems thinking Built on preceding disciples, combined Capacity of individuals & a system to examine the problem in its full context (e.g. internally & with external relations) Continuous learning, emphasizing dialogue amongst partners in a collective effort	Vertical and horizontal collaborations Multi-level system of interactions amongst the local authority and its partners (e.g. higher levels of governments, city-to-city networks, collaboration in the metro-region) Multi-actor partnerships: private-sector actors & scientific collaborations to build further expertise & access funding

Figure 1. Map of Malmö, demonstrating its coastal location. Two of Malmö’s main climate change/sustainability planning projects are circled. On the coast, is Western Harbour, a former brownfield. In the centre, is the retrofit of Augustenborg. This map was provided with permission from the City of Malmö.