Green urban living

Green urban living is a thematic area of research in Environmental Science. Here you can read more about ongoing projects and find the researchers and PhD students who are working in this area.

More than 50 % of the world’s population live in urban areas and this proportion is expected to rise to 70 % by 2050. Growing cities contribute to economic growth, but they also contribute to increasing social inequalities and pressures on ecosystems. The large-scale, rapid urban migration creates new demands that need to be addressed in an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable way. Sustainable urban development includes sustainable construction and sustainable planning of housing, infrastructure, public spaces, transport, recycling and safer chemicals handling, which in turn require new technology and multi-sector cooperation. Inclusive and innovative urban planning is needed to make cities safer and sustainable for the future.

Research and innovation in this area can primarily be regarded from two currently dominant perspectives. One is the socio-technological, where sustainability is often addressed through increased efficiency in energy, transport and waste management, as well as densely urban environments that increase access to urban services. The other is the socio-ecological, which places greater emphasis on natural urban environments and their positive effects in the form of ecosystem services, improved health (mental, physical and social), as well as learning about nature and the environment and the impact on sustainable behaviour.

Ongoing research projects

Cycle4Climate

Cycle4Climate (C4C) is an international research project that aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from urban transport by encouraging more people to choose the bicycle instead of the car.

Cycle4Climate is a unique project that addresses the need for sustainable urban planning and transportation. By testing and evaluating different methods to increase cycling in urban environments, the project aims to create a toolbox of effective and feasible measures that urban planners and policy makers can use.

More information about Cycle4Climate

The BIG project – Better quality of life with Integrated GIS

In the BIG project, Gävle is used as a test bed for understanding how healthy, sustainable and vibrant cities can be built in the future.

More information about the project External link.

PhD students’ projects

For current PhD students’ projects, see the respective PhD students’ presentations.

Previous research projects

MEK – Environmental requirements, energy use and climate impact – a study of connections and opportunities External link. (Marita Wallhagen)
The project investigated the effects of energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and environmental auditing.
ZEUS – Spatial and experiential analyses for urban social sustainability External link. (Stephan Barthel)
One of the aims of the project was to develop a method for analysing spatial accessibility of both ecosystem services and urban services, as well as to evaluate how this accessibility affects the everyday experiences of residents.
Building industry project (Ricardo Ramírez Villegas) External link.
The study was based on a general review of the more commonly occurring building systems, weighing in the environmental and economic consequences of production methods, choice of materials, choice of installation systems, energy supply and energy efficiency.
One roof – five opportunities (Marita Wallhagen)
The strategic innovation project “One roof – five opportunities” explores issues related to the establishment of green roofs in urban areas.
Augmented Urbans External link. (Marita Wallhagen)
The project was about designing attractive, sustainable and resilient outdoor environments. In this project, the University worked with residential developer Gavlegårdarna to design attractive outdoor environments that are more sustainable in the long term for people and biodiversity.