Architecture for attractive urban environments
The aim of the research project is to investigate and gain relevant knowledge about professional and non-professional perspectives on the architecture of attractive urban environments. The research focuses on smaller cities and their ability to attract new residents. The aim is to acquire knowledge about the attractiveness of cities for application in urban development projects.
In the backwaters of urbanization, small towns and communities in peripheral areas struggle to attract new residents. Even if the labor market in the smaller town is good and offers well-paid jobs, it is difficult to get people to settle permanently. This situation applies to many mining towns, which are often located in peripheral regions with sparse populations and poorer social and commercial services than large and medium-sized cities. Mining companies are looking for staff for their operations and the proportion of long-distance commuters has increased. Both municipalities and mining companies want to increase the proportion of permanent residents, which would provide a greater basis for commercial and social services, more tax revenue and greater local involvement among those working in the localities.
The purpose of the research study is to investigate and gain relevant knowledge about how urban and residential environments could be designed. This is explored through Living Lab methodology, where different user groups in a city together explore possibilities, experiment with solutions and have their say in a design process towards 'the attractive city'. The study is carried out in Gällivare and Kiruna, both of which are facing major urban transformations. The expansion of the mines provides the basis for a stable labor market where the proportion of long commuters is currently large. This provides an incentive to explore how the cities can be rebuilt to attract new and existing labor to settle in the localities.
The project is funded by the Hjalmar Lundbohm Research Center.
Erik Hidman
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