Funding attributed for six projects in SLU Urban Futures’ open calls for transdisciplinary research

The six awarded projects have roots in faculties from across SLU; and are designed from a multi-, inter-, or transdisciplinary perspective in relation to the theme of sustainable urban development. The projects each demonstrate a connection to SDG 11, showcasing SLU’s capacity to produce urban research that is policy-relevant.


The following applications were granted funding:

Urban Forestscapes

The call in Urban Forestscapes explores the complex relationships between forests, people and cities. Taking an Urban Forestscapes approach can help better understand the way forest ecosystems and urban development are interconnected by diverse social, economic, cultural and environmental processes in different contexts.

Future analysis of Umeå Municipality’s forests

In collaboration with Umeå municipality, Norra Skog, VAKIN and SLU researchers, this project will use the planning tool Heureka to provide long-term analysis of forest management strategies in Umeå municipality. The transdisciplinary project recognizes the diverse benefits derived from urban forests for human recreation and well-being, biodiversity, carbon sequestration and commercial interests; and will investigate how best to implement strategies that can preserve and develop these qualities.  
Main applicant: Torgny Lind 

Residents' willingness to Participate in Management of Urban Green Spaces in a Growing City: The Case of Umeå, Sweden

This project aims to asses Umeå resident’s preferences for participation in decision-making processes in the management of urban green spaces in Umeå Municipality. The project will shed light on issues of conflict management and social challenges associated with the governance of natural resources connected to green spaces. The interdisciplinary project will provide important insights for forest management, urban planning and governance of social-ecological systems.
Main applicant: Pedro M. Obregón Santander 

Survey your moves – with focus on urban forestscapes

This project will investigate the importance of urban forests for physical activity and human health, drawing connections between issues of urban forests, health and urban planning. SLU researchers together with researchers from other Swedish institutions will run a two-day workshop to design a questionnaire and interdisciplinary pilot study to understand the relationships between outdoor environment, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, body composition and health and wellbeing. 
Main applicant: Klara Smedberg 

Urban Healthscapes

The call in Urban Healthscapes places emphasis on the interrelations between humans and planetary health nested into places, takes a holistic view of health, and explores the interplay between individual human experiences (ex: physiological, emotions, cognition, behaviour) and the cultural, socio-economic and physical landscapes. Taking an Urban Healthscapes approach can contribute to understanding the complex links between health and sustainable and equitable urban development.

Accomplishing healthy urban living environments for people experiencing mental illness

Understanding the experiences of long term-mental illness and how people with mental illness perceive their outdoor environment can shed light on how issues of health and landscape planning are interconnected. This project seeks to better understand the institutional barriers, in terms of knowledge, politics, organization, to the development of health-promoting living environments. The transdisciplinary project group will host a workshop with stakeholders and researchers to discuss the conditions, roles and responsibilities for the development of health-promoting living-environments, investigating the linkages between health and sustainable urban development.  
Main applicant: Lina Berglund-Snodgrass

A matter of co-existence: exploring dog owners’ trade-offs regarding pet dogs’ and wildlife’s welfare in the context of sustainable urban development in the expanding city of Umeå, Sweden

This project investigates the interactions between dog-owners and wildlife in order to understand how to better enhance the protection of pet welfare, wildlife welfare and the health of the natural environment. The interdisciplinary project develops the conceptual understanding of urban healthscapes by looking at the interlinkages between human health, animal wellbeing and environmental health. It will provide important insights for policy-making relating to animal welfare and urban planning that takes a holistic view of health and urban sustainability.  
Main applicant: Adan L. Martinez-Cruz

Urban Healthscape in Palliative care - consortium building for transdisciplinary research proposal

This project aims to build a consortium of researchers and stakeholders to investigate how to create sustainable urban living environments for individuals at the end of life who are in need of safe, inclusive and accessible green space near their home. The project will develop a wellness approach by implementing the knowledge found in environmental psychology regarding supportive environments together with person-centered palliative care, in order to provide recommendations and guidelines for the development of health-promoting urban environments.   
Main applicant: Anna María Pálsdóttir