When we talk about system change, it is often about understanding how different levels of society interact. Some changes happen quickly and visibly, others take decades and happen almost imperceptibly in the background. Multi Level Perspective (MLP) is a method for seeing these different layers of change and understanding how they affect each other.
It is a way of seeing society not as a machine where parts are replaced, but as a living ecosystem of people, habits, structures and technologies that together shape the future.
The three levels of Multi Level Perspective
MLP is based on three levels of change: the landscape, the regimes and the niches.
- The landscape level represents the large and slow changes in society. These can be climate change, demographic trends, cultural values or global economic movements. They are difficult to influence directly but create the conditions for everything else. For example, digitalization and globalization have changed our entire view of work and knowledge, something that affects both politics, the economy and everyday life.
- The regime level is the dominant structure in society, where today’s institutions, business models, technologies and norms are found. This is where the system tries to maintain stability. Examples are the energy system, the transport system or the school system. Regimes tend to protect themselves through rules, routines and established interests. A petrol-powered car industry is a typical example of a regime that for a long time resisted change towards electric power because its entire infrastructure was based on fossil fuels.
- The niche level is where experiments take place. This is where new ideas, technologies and ways of thinking are tested. Niches are innovation environments where actors dare to try new things without following the established rules. Examples are small-scale projects with the sharing economy, local energy cooperatives or pilot projects in the circular economy. They are often fragile but can grow in importance when the landscape changes and the regimes are no longer able to handle new demands.
A vivid example is the transformation of the transport sector
To understand how MLP works in practice, we can take the transport sector as an example. At the landscape level, we have climate change, rising oil prices and growing political pressure to reduce emissions. At the regime level, there is the established car industry, infrastructure for roads and fuel, and habitual behaviors where the car symbolizes freedom and status. At the niche level, new solutions are emerging such as electric cars, self-driving vehicles, bicycle infrastructure and public transport with digital sharing services.
When the landscape changes, for example through new climate goals or technological breakthroughs, the regime begins to falter. This opens up opportunities for niches to grow and sometimes replace the old system. This is how system change happens: through the interaction between levels.
Why MLP changes the way we think
Traditionally, organizations try to solve problems by focusing on the level at which they themselves operate. A transport authority improves public transport, a company streamlines production, a municipality tries to re-plan traffic. But without understanding how these levels interact, you risk only treating the symptoms, not the causes.
MLP offers a way of thinking that sees the whole. It helps us understand why some innovations get stuck, why change sometimes feels impossible, and how the right timing can make all the difference. The method makes it possible to see that even small experiments can have a huge impact if they are placed in the right system dynamics.
When organizations work with MLP in workshops or systems thinking exercises, something important happens: perspectives broaden. Participants begin to see their own operations as parts of larger systems and understand that their decisions can contribute to change at other levels. This creates a sense of meaning and agency that is often missing in traditional change projects.
From analysis to action
One of the strengths of MLP is that it is not only used to analyze problems but also to create change strategies. By mapping where different actors are in the system, you can identify where the greatest opportunities lie.
For example, if you work with sustainable food production, you can see that the landscape is changing through increased demands for climate neutrality. The regime consists of large-scale agricultural models and food chains, while the niches can be regenerative agriculture or urban farming. By supporting the niches while also influencing the rules of the regime, such as subsidies and procurement requirements, one can create a movement towards a new sustainable system.
This way of thinking means that organizations do not get stuck in the question of what they can do, but rather see themselves as part of a larger process of change.
The connection to Three Horizons
MLP is closely related to the Three Horizons model, which describes how the system of the future emerges. In Three Horizons, the first horizon represents the current system, the second horizon the transition and the third the future vision. MLP can be seen as a way of explaining why these horizons exist simultaneously. The regime corresponds to the first horizon, the niches to the third and the landscape is the background that affects the pace of the entire development.
By combining MLP and Three Horizons, one can both understand the structural logic of change and work with the human dimensions of the transition. It becomes clear why change often feels chaotic but still follows a recognizable rhythm.
The Iceberg Model and the Hidden Structures
MLP can also be linked to the iceberg model, which is used in systems thinking to show that what we see on the surface is only a small part of reality. Events and symptoms are visible, but beneath the surface there are patterns, structures and mental models that shape behavior.
MLP makes these levels concrete in a societal context. The regime is like the center of the iceberg – the structures and routines that hold everything in place. The niches are below the surface, where new patterns emerge. The landscape is the sea all around, slowly changing the conditions for the entire iceberg.
Working with MLP is therefore a way to train yourself to see the invisible. When we understand where in the system the change is happening, we can act more consciously and effectively.
A method for future decision-making
In a world where complex societal problems such as climate change, social inequality and resource scarcity require collaboration between sectors and levels, MLP becomes a necessary compass. It helps us to think systemically, but also to act strategically.
The great insight with MLP is that change never happens at a single level. It occurs when ideas, structures and forces from different levels meet. By understanding this interaction, organizations and societies can not only adapt to the future but actively shape it.
Multi Level Perspective is therefore more than a model. It is a way of seeing the world – as a living, multidimensional system where every action, every innovation and every thought is part of something bigger.
