Ongoing research projects
- Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl – who and what is it good for? - The Sustainability of High-rise Buildings
- The state's role as a "system builder" for electric infrastructure in the transportation sector (Ph.D. project)
- Just transition of urban mobility (Ph.D. project)
- Housing mobility and patterns of relocation (Ph.D. project)
- Building justice? (Ph.D. project)
A case study of visions and practices of sustainability, nature and capital in property development in Oslo
Completed research projects
- Truly Public Urban Spaces
A study of public spaces and the opportunities for developing socially inclusive spaces in areas undergoing transformation - Mass Management
Mass Management from linear to circular solutions? - Sustainable protein consumption (Ph.D. project)
Towards a sustainable protein system? Mapping barriers and opportunities for upscaling sustainable protein consumption in Norwegian households - Vestre Billingstad
Development of a socially inclusive and environmentally friendly urban residential area at Vestre Billingstad - Daily life during COVID-19
From lock down to lock in? COVID-19, changing social practices and transitioning to sustainable lifestyles - Sustainability and consumption
What factors prevent and enable a transition to a more sustainable and fair consumption in Norway? - Electric vehicles and prosumers
Spatial and social distribution of electric vehicles and solar panels - Urban epidemic vulnerability- implications for urban land use and transportCOVID-19, housing preferences, travel habits, and urban and spatial development
- Sustainable housing projects (in Norwegian)
Housing projects and attractive communities: four dimensions in the green transition - Sustainable urban regional development (Smart Mobility Suburbs)
Smart and energy-positive satellite cities
Key Themes
Suburbanisation, urban sprawl, and the development of urban regions with low population density, coupled with high private vehicle usage, have led to increased energy consumption in buildings and transportation. Public authorities have promoted central nodal point developments and densification to counteract this trend and reduce energy usage. Unfortunately, a densification and nodal policy that is climate-smart may have adverse social and geographical consequences, by maintaining or exacerbating social inequality between districts and between cities and regions.
Social inequality also manifests in democratic processes, wherein privileged social groups residing in certain areas benefit and exert significant influence on decision-making processes, while others, with less influence on decisions, bear a larger share of the costs and face energy-related disadvantages.
In this research package, we examine these social implications and aim to develop strategies for a socially inclusive decarbonisation of cities and regions.
Practical tools
In work package two, we aim to develop strategies and methods to reduce energy use and emissions from people’s travel practices and housing-related consumption in a socially inclusive and just manner.
We will also investigate how physical urban planning, location and design of residential areas can be made not only energy and climate friendly, but also socially inclusive. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, as well as geographic information systems, we will examine the direct and indirect consequences of current planning practices for buildings and transport systems, while examining the social and geographical implications.
We recognise that inclusive processes, which take into account marginalised groups, in urban and regional planning are crucial for achieving a sustainable and socially inclusive energy transition. Therefore, we will explore how planning practices can be developed and improved through co-creation and participation.
Some of the research will also closely examine how municipalities, developers, and residents implement and execute energy-smart innovations in daily life, such as the use of car-sharing services or electric bicycles.
The work package’s overarching goal is to provide knowledge-based recommendations on how urban and regional planning through co-creation processes can contribute to a socially inclusive energy transition.