I am currently involved in two research projects focusing on the planning and transition towards more sustainable mobility systems. The first project, The Role of Planning in Shaping Fossil-Free Transport Systems (PLANINT), commenced in December 2025 and will run until December 2028. The project aims to contribute knowledge on the barriers and opportunities faced by Swedish municipalities when planning and governing the implementation of new transport solutions. The purpose is to develop and test new approaches towards a more integrated and sustainable transport system in collaboration with Uppsala municipality.聽
The second project, ELABORATOR, is an EU-funded Horizon 2020 project that seeks to design inclusive, safe, and sustainable mobility solutions across the twelve cities participating in the project. The consortium consists of 38 partners from across Europe. Within the project, we have, among other activities, conducted co-creation workshops in Lund together with the municipality and elderly women to explore their mobility practices in one of the city's central districts.
I also lead the project PLAN-C: Circular Spatial Planning for Transformative Change through Reuse and Renovation. This project investigates how the reuse and renovation of the built environment can be supported through the integration of circular principles into spatial planning processes. Achieving climate targets and meeting the EU's objective of net-zero emissions from buildings by 2050 requires governance approaches that embed circularity within municipal planning practices. PLAN-C addresses this challenge by developing strategies to strengthen governance and planning for circular construction and urban development. The project runs from 2025 to 2029.聽
Research on local and regional development
My previous research has primarily focused on various aspects of local and regional development. One area of study has examined infrastructure systems in municipalities experiencing population decline, with particular attention to energy systems and the implications of demographic shrinkage. I have also researched sustainability transformations at the regional level through the lense of a forest-based bioeconomy. A specific focus of this work was the role of civil society in such transformation processes. As regional innovation policy increasingly shifts towards transformative innovation policy, a broader range of actors is expected to participate in innovation processes. However, the projects revealed significant challenges, particularly due to the diverse and often competing values associated with forest landscapes that need to be considered.
In my thesis: Becoming the Attractive Region 鈥� A Study of
Contemporary Regionalization Processes I explored different expressions of regionalism(s) and regionalisation processes. The two case studies represented two different kind of regions, V盲rmland and the Scandinavian 8 Million City. While these cases represented distinct political and administrative contexts, the study identified several overarching discourses that were shared across both regions and that played a key role in driving regionalisation processes. The study showed how a strong emphasis on city-regions as growth engines, competitiveness and place attractiveness has shaped regional development policy and planning.聽
Teaching
I am programme director of the Bachelor's programme in Urban and Regional Planning. My teaching is primarily within the fields of human geography and urban and regional planning. I also supervise a doctoral candidate within the Just Transitions Research School, focusing on leadership and organisation for just urban and regional climate transitions in Swedish municipalities and regions.
