Find Swedish best practice

Drottninghög, a neighborhood in Helsingborg, is in the process of developing both a physical and socially sustainable area. Together with the residents, real estate companies and the city of Helsingborg we transform a worn down residential area into an attractive and included part of the city.

Green areas in cities are fundamental for people to live and thrive. By implementing green areas, the temperature in cities is lowered, the risk of flooding is minimized and noise decreased. Green areas do not only increase the well-being of humans, but also help increase biodiversity and provides several other beneficial ecosystem services.

BIOGAS XPOSE demonstrates how a region with a high demand for biomethane (BM) can increase the production of BM as a renewable vehicle fuel in an economically and environmentally viable fashion by maximizing regional waste as the resource. The project is reducing the total emissions of carbon dioxide with 334 600 tonnes by sustainable production of BM that replaces fossil fuels in the transportation sector. The project ended in 2018.

In Kristianstad, Sweden, the area of a former dry-cleaning site was once one of the most polluted areas in the south of Sweden. As a part of the Swedish objective of reaching a Toxin-free Environment, toxins have now been reduced by 99,9 % in the area.

Extended Producer responsibility (EPR) is a governmental policy and a Swedish law that aims to better waste management and collection. The Swedish system shifts the waste management cost or physical collection fully from local governments to producers. The policy applies to different goods such as packaging, newsprint, electronic products, batteries, tires, end-of-life vehicles, pharmaceutical waste, stray radioactive products and radioactive sources.

The new residential area Oceanhamnen (The Ocean Harbour) in Helsingborg, is connected to three separate wastewater pipes; one vacuum pipe for toilets, one for food waste and a third pipe for the remaining greywater (showers, dishwashing and sinks). The separation of wastewater at the source enables recovery of resources from wastewater at Sweden’s first recovery plant; Reco lab. Reco which will be commissioned in 2021.

Älvstaden is the Nordic region’s largest urban development project. Central Gothenburg will double in size and the sustainability ambitions of the project are high. By strengthening the core, and joining Frihamnen with the rest of the city, an inclusive, green and dynamic inner-city is created. Within the City of Gothenburg, work is underway to reduce the differences in living conditions for the inhabitants. According to the governance document for social sustainability, Program for an Equal City 2018-2026, the city’s physical environments should create conditions for socio-economic integration, security and cohesion.

The construction and property industry are radically changing as digitalization and new technology sweeps over the sector. Meet Nordic Contech and Proptech Stockholm to learn about Swedish startups and how they already impact globally.

Linero, a city district in Lund in the south of Sweden, is a successful experience in smart city and energy efficiency retrofitting. The project in Linero focuses on upgrading approximately 800 apartments built in the 1970s in the Linero area, in order to create more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly housing.

The district Augustenborg has been rebuilt during the last 20 years to manage problems with flooding and socioeconomic challenges. By planning and rebuilding through solutions based on ecosystem services, the area is now an attractive district that managed well during the flooding in 2014. Augustenborg is now an excellent example of a successful sustainable makeover of an urban district.

The municipality of Växjö is a prime example of Swedish wood construction, where at least 50 % of new construction will be wood by 2020. Visit Växjö to see residential and commercial buildings, as well as infrastructure made in wood.

The Swedish National Geodata Strategy is based on five societal challenges for the Swedish society where geodata is expected to contribute to solutions:
innovation and business growth, digitization of public administration, streamlining of the urban planning process, climate adaptation and environmental threats, and defense and civil contingencies.