The paradoxes of city strategy practice: Why some issues become strategically important and others do not

Based on an in-depth study of a strategy initiative in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden, this article addresses the practice of city strategy making. Using methods inspired by ethnography, the article illustrates the complex task of drafting strategies in an urban context. The concept of paradox is used to highlight the tensions involved in being strategic in a city, tensions that can also affect the outcome, i.e., the strategy document. Examining organizational paradoxes is a way to deepen our understanding of why the content of a strategy document has certain qualities and why some issues become strategically important while others do not.