Photo of Johan Niskanen

Johan Niskanen

Assistant Professor, Docent

I study how the transition towards a sustainable society takes shape in practice, with a focus on urban and regional planning, energy and the circular economy. I am Programme Director of the master’s programme Strategic Urban and Regional Planning.

Research on energy transitions, planning and circular economy

Technological solutions such as energy-efficient buildings, wind power, and circular economic models are often presented as key responses to climate and sustainability challenges. However, how these solutions work in practice, the conflicts they generate, and how responsibilities are distributed among societal actors remain unclear.

My research takes an interdisciplinary approach grounded in sociotechnical systems, with a particular focus on value conflicts and the interaction between technical systems, political institutions and social actors in sustainability transitions.

I have studied the development and mainstreaming of passive houses in Sweden, local resistance and planning challenges related to wind power, as well as conflicts and practices within the circular economy, including repair, reuse and renovation. In addition, I have conducted research on small-scale biogas production and transport infrastructure.

Methodologically, I work with a combination of qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews, document and discourse analysis, focus groups and workshops, often within larger interdisciplinary research projects.

Teaching urban and regional planning and sustainable development

I am Programme Director of the master’s programme Strategic Urban and Regional Planning and have extensive experience in teaching and course coordination at both undergraduate and master’s levels in urban planning, environmental science and sustainable development.

My teaching emphasizes critical and analytical perspectives on technology, planning and environmental issues, and I view teaching and research as closely integrated parts of my academic work. I have previous experience of working as a technical consultant and managing energy-related projects in the private and public sectors.

Publications

2025

Amelia Mutter, Johan Niskanen, Nancy Brett, Darcy Parks, Anna Küller, Fredrik Envall (2025) Beyond the horizon: a collective journey with Harald Rohracher Stories of transforming cities, stories from the bike - a festschrift for Harald Rohracher, p. 141-155 (Chapter in book)

2024

Simon Haikola, Jonas Anshelm, Johan Niskanen (2024) Beyond the backyard: Scaling up of resistance to wind power in Sweden Environmental Challenges, Vol. 16, Article 100987 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Johan Niskanen, Simon Haikola, Dick Magnusson, Jonas Anshelm (2024) Swedish wind power expansion: Conflicting responsibilities between state and municipalities Renewable & sustainable energy reviews, Vol. 206, Article 114881 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Johan Niskanen, Jonas Anshelm, Simon Haikola (2024) A multi-level discourse analysis of Swedish wind power resistance, 2009-2022 Political Geography, Vol. 108, Article 103017 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI

2023

Johan Niskanen, Jonas Anshelm, Simon Haikola (2023) A new discourse coalition in the Swedish transport infrastructure debate 2016-2021 Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, Vol. 116, Article 103611 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Johan Niskanen, Duncan McLaren (2023) The Political Economy of Circular Economies: Lessons from Future Repair Scenario Deliberations in Sweden Circular Economy and Sustainability, Vol. 3, p. 1677-1701 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI

2022

Johan Niskanen, Harald Rohracher (2022) A politics of calculation: Negotiating pathways to zero-energy buildings in Sweden Technological forecasting & social change, Vol. 179, Article 121630 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Johan Niskanen, Harald Rohracher (2022) Mainstreaming passive houses: more gradual reconfiguration than transition Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning, Vol. 24, p. 612-624 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI

2021

Johan Niskanen, Duncan McLaren, Jonas Anshelm (2021) Repair for a Broken Economy: Lessons for Circular Economy from an International Interview Study of Repairers Sustainability, Vol. 13, Article 2316 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Johan Niskanen, Dick Magnusson (2021) Understanding upscaling and stagnation of farm-based biogas production in Sweden through transitional and farming logics Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 279, Article 123235 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI

2020

Duncan McLaren, Johan Niskanen, Jonas Anshelm (2020) Reconfiguring repair: Contested politics and values of repair challengeinstrumental discourses found in circular economies literature Resources, Conservation and Recycling: X, Vol. 8, Article 100046 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Johan Niskanen, Harald Rohracher (2020) Passive houses as affiliative objects: Investment calculations, energy modelling, and collaboration strategies of Swedish housing companies Energy Research & Social Science, Vol. 70, Article 101643 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Johan Niskanen, Jonas Anshelm, Duncan McLaren (2020) Local conflicts and national consensus: The strange case of circular economy in Sweden Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 261, Article 121117 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI

2018

Johan Niskanen (2018) Mainstreaming passive houses: A study of energy efficient residential buildings in Sweden

Research project

Teaching

I am Programme Director of the master’s programme Strategic Urban and Regional Planning, where I also teach.
I also teach on the bachelor's programme in Urban and Regional Planning.

Education language in this programme is Swedish

Bachelor's programme in Urban and Regional Planning,

180 credits

In the Urban and Regional Planning programme, you will learn how to address a range of issues and challenges related to the development of our living environments.

You can work with planning residential areas, public transport and green spaces to help create the communities of the future.

Read more about the programme

Course I teach

  • Samhällsplaneringens processer (The Processes of Urban and Spatial Planning)

Organisation