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Abstract: This PhD study is in its very beginning. It aims to create learning about citizenship and empowerment-orientated health promotion strategies and practices within municipalities, as well as knowledge about conditions which determine the process and structure behind the potential success of initiatives. Naestved Municipality is the primary case in this process where the study will participate and contribute in the development process including supporting community-orientated activities and broad commitment and ownership (linking top down – bottom up). Thus for a (not yet) selected specific health issue and target group in Naestved municipality and with (not yet) selected arenas in the municipal health promotion efforts. This focus will as a health challenging issue relate to social inequalities in health. With Whole System Approach (Dooris 2009) and transformative learning (Mezirow 2000) as the theoretical framework I will focus on assessment of opportunities and barriers in a development and long term anchoring process. This aims to contribute to the development of capacities in municipal and local communities in order to facilitate Naestved municipality in the (starting) process of working with action plans for empowerment-based health promotion. The study is conducted as an exploratory study and inspired by action research based on theoretically informed analysis of Naestved Municipality and by contrasting the experience and knowledge from national and international experiences and research.