While transdisciplinary (TD) research is desired in order to solve real world sustainability issues, this may be challenging for both academic and non-academic participants. Supporting learning through evaluation, we analyzed a project aiming at sustainable transport infrastructures. After developing a TD research framework as a benchmark, two external independent evaluators interviewed all project researchers, representatives for end-users, and donors. The evaluators compared results with the framework, and evaluators and participants critically reflected on the results together. There were three inconsistencies relative to the framework: (1) limited understanding of TD research among project management, end-users, and most of the researchers; (2) no structured learning process among end-users; instead, they expressed very diverse opinions about what they expected from the project; (3) project leaders had limited understanding of the special challenges of TD research, did not fully understand the status of the project's social system, and thus did not act as facilitators of the required collaborative learning process. Non-academic participants saw themselves as customers and not as partners in the knowledge production process. We conclude that TD problem-solving research requires much time and needs facilitation and training. A preparatory phase with a lower level of funding would be helpful in preparing for TD processes.

The European Landscape Convention indicates that assessment of different dimensions that exist in landscapes should be taken into account in planning. In this study, we first investigated ecological, cultural and social values as perceived by the local people in a highway-planning process in Sweden. Next, we explored which factors influenced the local people's participation in the road-planning process. We used questionnaires, planning documents and the Theory of Planned Behavior to investigate the relations between different factors and local people's participation in the planning process. The results showed that people presumed the ecological values in the landscape to be adversely affected by the new road, while the social values would remain the same. Landowners had heard of the participatory-process, but few participated. Those who lived within 300m of the road were more active in the planning process than people living further away. The findings suggest that people living within a few hundred metres of the road should be treated as key stakeholders in the planning process. The involvement of other stakeholders, and when in the public participation process stakeholders should be involved, is also discussed.

Advanced high-strength steels may reduce the use of nonrenewable resources and energy given that the amount of material needed is smaller, compared to traditional steel grades. Still, advanced steel grades are not utilized to the extent that could be expected. This study examines stakeholders’ preferences of steel characteristics and perceived barriers to the introduction of new materials. Focus group interviews were used to identify steel characteristics and perceived barriers. Stakeholder preferences of steel characteristics were evaluated through a conjoint analysis; the results showed that low weight was given the highest priority, followed by high impact strength and low price. Low chromium content was the steel characteristic of least interest. Perceived barriers to the introduction of high-strength steel were categorized as technical barriers, knowledge barriers, scrap management barriers, suitability barriers, and cost barriers.

Amazon ecosystem degradation profoundly impacts life supporting processes of global importance such as climate regulation, as well as localconditions for livelihoods. In Peru’s highland jungle, an expanding deforestationfront of forest conversion to agriculture has vastly transformed the landscape.

Small-scale farming, the main driver of forest degradation, and consequently household natural resource management affect ecosystem functionality.To investigate farmers’ attitudes and priorities to services provided by the ecosystems (ES) we interviewed 51 farmers, both local and colonists. They strongly agreed that over the last three decades, local conditions for livelihoods have deteriorated following forest degradation and climate change. The latterwas reported the primary contributor to an impaired life quality and their greatest concern. Overall, local farmers perceived greater than did colonists who were also more positive towards intensive agricultureand forestry. This should be considered in environmental conservation efforts in the upper Amazon.

Implementation of the European Landscape Convention requires new tools that link ecological, social and cultural dimensions in practical planning. Here, we propose connectivity as a conceptual tool to include different dimensions into landscape and spatial planning. We present a short review of the connectivity concept in relation to ecological, social and cultural dimensions and illustrate it by examples from a real landscape planning case.

Handbok som beskriver olika metoder för att ta reda på och analysera vilken inställning människor har till miljön.

En viktig knut att lösa för att kunna nå hållbar utveckling är varför människor beter sig på ett sätt trots att de egentligen vet att de borde bete sig på ett annat sätt. Människors beteende när det gäller miljöfrågor beror på många bakomliggande faktorer och för att nå den hållbara utvecklingen måste vi ge människor möjlighet att bli bekväma med beteenden som är bra för miljön. En viktig pusselbit för att nå dit är att veta hur individer och grupper ställer sig till olika strategiska miljöfrågor. Sådan kunskap kan användas för att anpassa informationskampanjer, skräddarsy utbildningspaket eller undanröja faktorer som riskerar att omintetgöra miljöarbetet.

Metoderna som beskrivs i den här handboken kan användas inom många fler områden än miljö, t.ex. inom marknadsföring eller för att identifiera kunskaps- eller informationsluckor bland den egna personalen eller för att undersöka attityder och synsätt hos olika intressentgrupper.

Handboken är framtagen inom forskningsprogrammet Stålkretsloppet och utgiven av Linnéuniversitetet i Kalmar med stöd från Jernkontoret och Mistra.

This case study investigates the role of social-psychological variables in the general

public’s intention to support conservation of five local biotopes. A questionnaire

survey of 245 people was carried out in Kristianstad Municipality, Sweden. In

hierarchical regression analyses, public intention to support conservation was partly

predicted by attitude toward biodiversity conservation and by personal norm. The

relationship between these variables and intention differed depending on the ecological

content of the biotope. It is concluded that when communicating the importance

of conserving biotopes to the public, the message should be tailored according to the

ecological content of the biotope as well as with regard to public attitudes and

personal norms.

More and more time is spent on recreational activities, but few risk assessments focus specifically on these situations and exposure factor data are often scarce. To assess exposure to contaminants at a public bathing place in an urban environment, we have compiled literature data, conducted observation studies, and analyzed water and sediment samples. The levels of anthropogenic contaminants are high in urban environments and traffic frequently plays an important role. In this study, to characterize variability and uncertainty, the deterministic exposure calculations for metal pollutants were supplemented by a probability bounds analysis for the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The results from these calculations show that oral intake is the major exposure route for metals, while skin absorption, with present assumptions, is more important for the PAH. The presently measured levels of contaminants, at this public bathing place, cannot be anticipated to cause any significant adverse influence on public health.