Analysis of urban sustainable development perceptions in the City of Jyväskylä : a qualitative case study on Resource Wisdom concept

Abstract

Due to urbanization and population growth cities are facing sustainability challenges. The amount of people living in urban areas in Finland is estimated to rise to 82 % by the end of 2050. To deal with these current and future problems cities must be innovative and find new solutions and create a robust roadmap to achieve strategic goals and sustainable solutions. This case study focuses on Resource Wisdom and sustainability concepts perceptions and how these are put into practice in Koas and the City of Jyväskylä. The conceptual framework is divided into three sections, sustainable city, smart city, and urban resilience.

This thesis used a qualitative research method based on semi-structured one-on-one interviews with three representatives from Koas and three from the City of Jyväskylä. This case study's main focus was on student housing and specific student housing project Seminaarinmäki. The purpose of this study was to gather data to compare two different organizations’ perceptions on how they apply Resource Wisdom in their everyday work. Empirical data was collected to investigate this phenomenon and using thematic analysis to identify themes from collected data.

The research results suggest that both organizations seek to maintain communication and collaboration advantages in order to reach a set of sustainability targets. The conceptual framework supported the findings, even though the urban resilience and smart city concepts were mostly absent in the analyzed data. This Master’s thesis provides additional information and understanding of the direction on urban sustainable development in student housing. Moreover, the data provided perceptions on Resource Wisdom and how these concepts are applied to reach the strategic goals that are set for 2030 in Koas and the City of Jyväskylä.