Insights from Sören Smith Jensen

New Courage in Nordic Urban Development

The courage of future urban development is less about knowing everything in advance — and more about daring to act, learn, and adjust along the way. This applies whether we are planners or politicians.When we look at the trends shaping Nordic and European urban development and planning today, a picture emerges of a “new courage” that differs from the growth and modernization courage of earlier times:

 

1. Courage to prioritize long-term sustainability over short-term gain. It takes courage to say no to quick economic profits if they undermine climate goals, social cohesion, or nature. Political decision-makers must be able to explain to citizens and businesses why long-term sustainability matters more than immediate growth.
2. Courage to rethink the city’s logic. Future cities require breaking with habitual thinking: not always building new, but transforming what already exists. It also takes courage to work with uncertainty: to plan flexibly, where not all solutions are known in advance.
3. Courage to rethink our relationship with nature. Future urban development demands courage to rethink how we relate to nature. Instead of seeing nature as something to control or fit into the city’s logic, we must begin planning on nature’s terms. This is a courage that acknowledges nature’s own power and rhythm — understanding that we, as humans, must adapt more to its dynamics, not the other way around. It means giving more space to the unpredictable, the living, and the wild in the city. It takes courage to embrace nature as a co-creator of the city — not as a backdrop, but as an active, equal partner in shaping our shared living spaces.
4. Courage to share power. The challenges require planners and politicians to have the courage to listen — even when local voices challenge professional assumptions. This is not only a democratic issue but also a way to create robust and resilient solutions because more perspectives are heard.
5. Courage to take global problems seriously at the local level. Climate crisis, geopolitics, migration, and resource scarcity may seem “too big” for local politics. But courage lies in acting as if it matters here and now — for example, by introducing circular material flows, green mobility, and socially inclusive housing policies, even if the results are only felt in 10–20 years.
6. Courage to stand in conflicts — not avoid them. Urban development always creates tensions: between drivers and cyclists, citizens and developers, growth and nature. It takes courage to stand in the conflict zone and facilitate conversations where no one gets everything, but everyone is heard. The “modern courage” in city leadership is often not having the answer — but keeping the process open and transparent.
7. Courage to learn and fail. Innovation in urban development means experiments — temporary urban spaces, pilot projects, green technologies, new governance models. It takes institutional and personal courage to accept that not everything works the first time. A learning culture rather than fear of failure will be crucial.
8. Courage to communicate hope. Planners and politicians must dare to tell a credible and positive story that change is possible — and that it can create better quality of life. Courage lies in speaking both about losses (what we must let go of) and about opportunities (what we can create together).