Utooppinen puhunta alueiden kehittämisessä – raakamekanismia, kaukoarvailua ja satumaakaipuuta

Abstract

This article explores the significance of so-called utopian talk in regional development based on interviews where experts speculate the future of municipalities. This talk can be observed in regional development in the attempts to improve the governance of administratively defined regions like municipalities. Utopian talk denotes a way of speaking about certain phenomena, like regions, by transmitting controversial images concerning the future and present condition of the regions in question that include suggestion proposals. This utopian talk about regions was divided into seven types which each include a specific controversial claim, a distinctive image of the region and a certain suggestion of purpose. Traits that were characteristic to each different type of utopian talk were observed in the interviews of regional development experts. An unspoken utopian content defines the way of talking about the present and the future of regions. This appears, for example, as `a raw mechanical`, `a remote guessing` and `a wonderland longing` utopian talk. Some of the types of utopian talk are more suitable than others for municipal management and planning that relies on expertise. These types of utopian talk are used in planning situations to justify strategic choices.