SEI focuses on urban sustainability in major exhibition on Stockholm’s future development
As Stockholm grows, so does the need to look at the challenges and opportunities for the city’s sustainability – now and in the future. Are Stockholmers’ consumption patterns sustainable? What would a green economy for Sweden look like? Is our decision-making sufficiently long term? In the exhibition Stockholm on the Move, the Stockholm Environment Institute will focus on how to achieve sustainable urban development.
Färgfabriken, the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and partners have joined forces to produce an exhibition, including a series of seminars, debates and workshops, to be held in 2012 and 2013. Stockholm on the Move, which opens 22 November, will explore the existing and future infrastructure of the Stockholm region. The exhibition will provide a comprehensive overview of the many infrastructure investments that will change the Stockholm region in the years to come – with consequences that can be hard to grasp and expose us to alternative scenarios and development opportunities.
SEI will contribute research and knowledge on sustainable urban development, and wants exhibition visitors to ask themselves some key questions: how sustainable are Stockholm resident’s consumption patterns? What would a green economy for Sweden look like in 2050? What level of energy consumption – high or low – are we building into the Stockholm region’s housing sector today? Do local preferences match up to regional and global sustainability challenges?
Jakob Granit, Centre Director of SEI in Stockholm, thinks the collaboration with Färgfabriken and partners is an excellent opportunity for SEI to highlight sustainable urban development:
“For us at SEI the collaboration with Färgfabriken and its partners is a great opportunity to take part in a local discussion on finding ways to build a smart and resilient city for the future. We are happy to contribute our knowledge on integrated and applied science, as well as on issues such as how to adapt to a changing climate, consumption patterns, and innovative urban planning, including, for example, sustainable sanitation solutions. “
SEI will also take part in the conferences held during the exhibition. The first conference on 27 November examines global trends in infrastructure and city planning, asking questions such as what innovative solutions can be found around the world? What approaches and measures are shared, where do they differ, and what can we learn from other places? At the conference Senior Research Fellow at SEI, Marcus Carson, whose work focuses on social change, will present an overview of how people are working with sustainability in different cities of the world. Carson sees opportunities:
“If the Anthropocene means that the collective effect of our small scale activities can now influence the entire planet to create major problems, it also means we have the capacity to do the reverse – to engage in dealing with those problems. The old saying “think globally, act locally” has never been more important. Cities are the place to act.”
Stockholm on the Move – as an exhibition and a forum for seminars and discussion – aims to engage, generate debate, and give a consolidated picture of Stockholm’s infrastructure development for a general audience and professionals and specialists alike.
