StreetWise (2026-2029)

Swedish municipalities face significant challenges as streets, water supply and wastewater systems age, while climate change increases the risk of flooding and service disruptions. Although street infrastructure and water and wastewater systems often require renewal in the same areas, interventions are frequently planned separately. This can result in higher costs, repeated excavations, greater environmental impacts, and increased disruption for residents and businesses.

In the StreetWise project, the Municipality of Skellefteå, Luleå University of Technology (LTU), and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden collaborate to develop and test new approaches that improve coordination between street and water and wastewater infrastructure planning. At the core of the project is a policy lab where municipal departments and researchers work together to improve real-world planning processes.

Through the policy lab, decision-making processes, responsibilities, information flows, and resource allocation are mapped across the organisation. This helps identify barriers to coordination, such as insufficient information sharing, unclear responsibilities, or working practices that hinder collaboration. The policy lab also provides a safe environment for developing and testing new routines, decision rules, and forms of cooperation on a small scale before they are implemented in regular operations.

A key objective of the project is to translate previous research results into practical application. StreetWise builds on research conducted at LTU and within the Dag&Nät competence network, where the concept of “coordination windows” was developed to identify when coordinated investments in street and water and wastewater infrastructure generate the greatest benefits. Within the project, this concept is further developed into a policy instrument and policy development support tool that can help municipalities assess when coordination is justified—and when it is not.

Expected outcomes include fewer street excavations, reduced carbon emissions, lower infrastructure renewal costs, and more transparent decision-making. The results will be compiled into methods, templates, and guidance materials that can be used by municipalities across Sweden to strengthen coordination and contribute to more sustainable and resilient infrastructure systems.

StreetWise is carried out within the Impact Innovation programme Water Wise Societies (funded by Formas), a national initiative that aims to accelerate the transition towards sustainable and resilient water and societal systems.

Posts:

StreetWise Aims to Reduce Construction Chaos in Municipalities