Specific local situations or phenomena pose specific challenges for regional (sustainable)
development. These challenges require mostly local or regional solution paths for existing
social-environmental systems that have to be investigated. Here, the balance between
studying and developing solution options can have a high impact on decision making and
community choices.
Processes of regional (sustainable) development are controlled by social players and
these are the ones who finally decide and interact. These processes can be investigated
with practical relevance in order to contribute (information) to sustainable solutions, to examples
of how to steer regional development processes, how to solve existing conflicts and
to deliver information for strategic development.
In this article, the actor analysis method is introduced and different options for implementation
in practice are provided using a case study conducted in the Ore Mountains as
illustration. The actor analysis steps described here can be read as a guideline for implementing
an analysis, but the examples given are also intended to show the potential and
different options whose social interaction factors could be the focus of investigation and
how ideas or solutions of practical relevance can be generated.