All rights reservedAmdam, Jørgen2024-09-182024-09-182016978-85-7785-551-1https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14235/1999Proceedings of the IV World Planning Schools Congress, July 3-8th, 2016 : Global crisis, planning and challenges to spatial justice in the north and in the southComprehensive municipal land use and community strategic planning have been a part of local political and administrative responsibilities in Norway since 1965. Still a lot of municipalities have challenges regarding planning processes, planning decisions and implementation and some planning are in reality symbol production (plan-making) to fulfil internal and external demands. Participation from inhabitants is often symbolic especially regarding strategic planning. In this paper I will use Volda municipality as an example together with results from national research to analyse local planning in Norway based on complexity theories. The objectives are to discuss how the real influence of inhabitants can be increased and how strategic local planning can be a political instrument regarding local development. The Norwegian municipality is an important part of the welfare state responsible for the production of direct public services like schools, kindergartens, care of old and disabled people, social care, child care, health care, local infrastructure etc. as well as local planning and development. To do this production the municipal sector employs approximately 15 % of the total labour force in Norway.EnglishopenAccessconferenceObject