The discursive nature of environmental conflicts: the case of the Öresund link

Abstract

This paper analyzes the environmental conflict concerning the construction of a permanent link between Malmo, Sweden and the Danish capital, Copenhagen. The conflict is approached as both a discursive and institutional struggle, in which representations of nature and the environment are used not only to legitimize, but also to question institutional policies and development plans. The analysis focuses primarily on three of the counter‐discourses that have emerged in conflict with the hegemonic, institutional discourse, and also indicates how spatial representations have become important constituents of the discourses.