‘Going with the flow’ A qualitative study on citizens’ perceptions on flood prevention efforts and local participation in urban development in Turin, Italy

Sammanfattning

This qualitative study examines how citizens perceive flood prevention efforts and theirown local participation in the city Turin in northern Italy. Using semi-structuredinterviews and interviewing residents of Turin, this study explores how flooding in urbanareas affects the citizens. Furthermore, the study will examine what affects theperceptions of the city government’s flood prevention efforts, and how citizens viewtheir own role in local participation. Using Bo Rothstein’s theory on corruption, I arguefor how systemic corruption is still an ingrained part of sustainable development in thecity, and how the results from the respondents can be understood through thistheoretical lens. I am also using John Jost’s system justification theory to give furtherunderstanding of the psychological behaviours of respondents through a socialpsychology theoretical lens.The findings show that most respondents did not feel directly affected or threatened byflooding, but they were aware of increasing flood risks related to climate change.Respondents perceived a lack of information and transparency from the citygovernment, linking these issues to complicated bureaucracy, corruption or anormalisation of the political system. Respondents perceived an increasedindividualisation in flood prevention, where responsibility shifts from city government tocitizens. Further findings show that local participation was viewed as important but wasdoubted in its ability to create change and influence political decisions. The studyhighlights the importance of social trust, transparency and meaningful localparticipation to create effective flood prevention in Turin.This paper will be written in English.