Kristina Trygg

Sustainable urban and regional planning is one of today's biggest challenges, especially in view of the urbanization that is taking place around the world. Many cities and regions face major challenges when it comes to infrastructure projects. We have the possibility to integrate sustainability (environmental, social and economic) into the planning processes of urban infrastructure projects. But it isn’t happening, yet. Most planning practices lack both the strategies and the instruments to assess, adapt to and shape the social and environmental consequences of ongoing, rapid, technological change. This is particularly true for the energy and transport sectors. We must facilitate sustainable and socially inclusive innovations in these sectors, paying close attention to their impacts both on land use and strategic planning. These are some of the issues central to my research.

In my current research project “Planning for a sustainable energy transition”, regional and municipal actors are studied to understand how they act when it comes to energy transitions in society. This project will identify and, in collaboration with regional and municipal actors, further develop instruments and tools that give urban and regional planners a more active role in shaping a sustainable energy transition.