Sustainability as a shared objective? Stakeholders’ interpretations on the sustainable development of marinas in the Gulf of Finland

Sustainability and sustainable development are ambiguous concepts, framed and understood differently by different actors. The diverse interpretations also influence how the goals of sustainable development are defined. In this study, individual boaters and marina actors were interviewed for a deep analysis on how they define sustainability and sustainable development goals in the marina context. Conceptual influence diagrams (CIDs) were applied to visualize and structure the different ways individuals perceive sustainability and the sustainable development of marinas. The analysis shows how individual actors perceive the relationships between different aspects of sustainability, how they think sustainability can be achieved, and what are the potential conflicts. The CIDs also facilitated identifying how the thinking of the informants evolved during the interview. Visualizing the evolution of thinking demonstrates the importance of discussing sustainability and defining the concept from various perspectives in different contexts. The study provides a multi-faceted understanding of sustainability and sustainable development in marinas. Based on this, practical management implications to promote the sustainable development of both marinas and boating are suggested.