Who shapes the streets? A stakeholder analysis of street redesign processes in European cities

Abstract

Street redesign projects are used to support urban regeneration and advance sustainable mobility by modernising road infrastructure, reallocating public space, and facilitating the use of non-motorised transport modes. Such projects often face conflicting positions among diverse actors due to differing interests and degrees of influence in decision-making. Yet, there remains a limited understanding of who these stakeholders are and how they shape street redesign processes. This paper addresses this gap through qualitative case study research conducted in five cases across four cities: Brussels, Istanbul, Stockholm, and Vienna. The study combines media content analysis with semi-structured interviews with local actors to identify and categorise stakeholders involved in ongoing street redesign projects that affect urban mobility. This mixed qualitative approach allows for an examination of how stakeholders are represented in public discourse and how they perceive their roles within planning and implementation processes. Five stakeholder groups were identified across cases: public authorities, public organisations, local businesses, civic organisations, and inhabitants and visitors. The findings reveal that stakeholder interests are at times conflictual, yet they also share overlapping goals and concerns. Moreover, public authorities dominate formal decision-making, while other stakeholders influence outcomes through visibility, participation, and advocacy. The analysis demonstrates that influence is exercised not only through institutional authority but also through representation, legitimacy, and communication. The paper contributes theoretically by extending understandings of collaborative urban and transport plan- ning within street redesign processes, and practically by offering relevant insights for policymakers and practitioners.