Author: Andrew Karvonen

The EmbedterLabs project team travelled to Santander to engage with Cecilia Ribalaygua Batalla and colleagues at the Universidad de Cantabria. We met with representatives of the municipal government to discuss their Santander Capital Natural project that includes a climate change plan, a biodiversity strategy, a green infrastructure plan, and multiple citizen engagement activities. They noted a strong emphasis on health and well-being as a driver for their climate resilience actions. We look forward to seeing how this project develops in the coming years.

Northern Sweden has emerged as an ideal location for new data centres owned by large tech companies. On Friday, I participated in the doctoral defense of Cristina Ramos Caceres at Luleå Technical University. Her thesis, ‘Applying Industrial Ecology in Urban Planning for the Local Integration of Data Centres‘ examined the planning implications of data centres and the opportunities to use excess heat for greenhouses and other uses. Congratulations to Cristina on a fantastic study!

Yesterday, I participated in the Innovation Research Day at Lund University. The event was at the Skissernas Museum and was hosted by CIRCLE, the Sten K. Johnson Centre for Entrepreneurship and Urban Arena. We had eight presentations and discussions about a wide range of research initiatives followed by networking roundtable discussions in the afternoon. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Brunnshög is a vibrant real-world testbed in Lund for sustainable solutions involving transport and mobility, energy and climate, ecological services and nature-based solutions, circular and sharing economies, housing and public space, and more. Today, we had a roundtable discussion at the public library about the opportunities and challenges of innovating in real world environments. Thanks to Eva Dalman, Markus Paulsson, Tobias Hey and Roger Hildingsson for serving as panellists!

How can researchers engage with stakeholders through sustainable urban research projects? I participated today in a lively roundtable discussion with Ivette Arroyo, Kes McCormick, Lena Neij and Ida Sandström on the trials and tribulations of co-creating and co-designing with diverse research teams. This is part of a larger examination of transdisciplinary research practices that Ida and I are undertaking in the Urban Arena Testbeds project. Stay tuned for more findings!

How will older people and other vulnerable populations adapt to hotter conditions in cities? I discussed this topic today with colleagues at the Centre for Ageing and Supportive Environments (CASE) at Lund University. We explored ideas about heat mitigation and heat management that involve upgrades to the existing housing stock, the development of public spaces for heat relief, and the adoption of individual and collective strategies to keep cool. We took inspiration from a current Swedish project, HEAT: Heat stress in outdoor environments: Planning the city of older adults today and in a future warmer climate.

How can communities develop more effective approaches to flood management? I published a new article with Jeremy Carter and Amanda Winter in Environmental Policy and Governance about the opportunities and challenges in developing a catchment-scale approach to Natural Flood Management. Our findings from activities in the River Irwell in Greater Manchester Region show that a strong evidence base, dedicated funding, and strategic governance approaches are needed to reduce downstream flooding impacts. This research is part of the Peri-cene project that examined climate hazards and responses in the urban hinterlands in the UK and India.

I co-edited a special issue of Construction Management and Economics with Craig Thomson and Tina Karrbom Gustavsson on ‘Grand Challenges Facing Our Cities’. The collection includes five articles that explore the synergies and tensions between construction management and urban studies scholarship. Thanks to all of the contributors for their insights!

I published a review of Hannah Star Rogers’ MIT Press monograph Art, Science and the Politics of Knowledge on the LSE Review of Books website. In the book, Rogers describes the multiple overlaps between artistic and scientific knowledge production and provides intriguing examples of how artists and scientists can collaborate in creative and productive ways. An inspiring book!

I contributed an afterword to a new special issue in Territories, Politics, Governance on regional water infrastructure governance edited by Michael R. Glass, Jen Nelles & Jean-Paul D. Addie. They curated a wonderful collection of articles with new insights on how hydrologic flows and regions co-evolve. Great stuff!