Mistra Urban Futures in Stockholm

To strengthen Mistra Urban Futures’ national role in Sweden and to be able to produce even more cutting edge research, a feasibility study for a node of the centre in Stockholm will be conducted and finalized during the fall. The node in Stockholm is intended to focus on how to create sustainable socio-ecological systems and will complement and strengthen the research already taking place in Manchester, Kisumu, Gothenburg and Cape Town.

The study will be carried out together with Stockholm Resilience Centre, KTH School of Architecture, The Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics and the City Planning office in Stockholm.

- We welcome the initiative taken by the partners in Stockholm. Their expertise and international network play an important role in further strengthening Mistra Urban Futures and Sweden’s position within the urban research community globally, says Prof. David Simon, the new Director of Mistra Urban Futures.

The feasibility study will be conducted by Prof. Lars Marcus, KTH School of Architecture, Ass-Prof. Johan Colding, The Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics and Dr. Stephan Barthel, Stockholm Resilience Centre.

- We understand the joining of our field of research to Mistra Urban Futures as an ideal context to kick-off exciting new research naturally grounded in the idea of co-production of knowledge that we have been preparing for several years, says the new partners in Stockholm.

- Close contact and exchange with the latest developments in research will prove essential, given the challenges we are currently facing in the planning and design of our future cities, says Niklas Svensson at the City Planning administration in Stockholm.

The feasibility study will investigate the potential for a long-term collaboration between research and practice, according to Mistra Urban Futures set up and co-production philosophy. Some of the activities include mapping and approaching organizations which can form a local partnership in Stockholm and identify pilot projects to start in 2015. The results will be finalized at the end of 2014.

Questions can be directed to:

Lars Marcus, Architect and professor in Urban Design at KTH School of Architecture, lars.marcus@arch.kth.se,
+46 (0)709 947 991
Johan Colding, Ecologist and Associate Professor in Natural Resource Management at the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economy, johan.colding@beijer.kva.se, +46 (0) 76 277 0610
Stephan Barthel, Ecologist and Doctor in Natural Resource Management at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, stephan.barthel@su.se, +46 (0) 76 360 5705
Niklas Svensson, Deputy Director and Urban Planner at the City Planning Administration, Stockholm, niklas.svensson@stockholm.se, +46 (0) 12 27 247
Prof. David Simon, Director Mistra Urban Futures, david.simon@chalmers.se , +46 (0)31 772 4930

Photo: Flickr, by edward stojakovic