SleepingBeauty is based on the premise that many communities contain places with significant, yet untapped, potential: empty squares, neglected green spaces, and streets that function merely as transit routes. Through co-creation processes involving residents, experts, municipalities, property owners, cultural organisations, and other local stakeholders, the project develops nature-based solutions and other place-development interventions designed to bring these "Sleeping Beauties" back to life. 

The aim is to enhance biodiversity, health and well-being, climate resilience, and social cohesion. Nature-based solutions may include the restoration of wetlands and waterways, tree planting and other greening measures to reduce urban heat island effects, the creation of flowering habitats for pollinators, stormwater management solutions such as rain gardens and open drainage systems, and the development of green meeting places that benefit both people and ecosystems. At the same time, the project seeks to strengthen people's connection to nature and contribute to more attractive and multifunctional public spaces.

Within the project, RISE is responsible for developing frameworks and methods for continuous evaluation and learning. The purpose is to monitor, analyse and compare the impacts of pilot interventions while supporting learning processes at each pilot site.

The evaluation covers topics such as greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, local climate conditions, accessibility and inclusion, local economic development, social cohesion, and health and well-being. Through systematic learning across the pilot sites, RISE aims to identify success factors, barriers and opportunities for transferring and scaling up the project's approaches in other contexts.

RISE also plays a particularly active role in the development work at the Swedish pilot site in Fröseke, Småland. Here, RISE provides methodological support, knowledge development and evaluation in close collaboration with local stakeholders to strengthen the site's ecological, social and cultural values. The pilot activities in Fröseke focus, among other things, on how natural and cultural environments can be developed together to support biodiversity, attractive living environments and long-term local development.

RISE is represented by an interdisciplinary team of project managers, specialists and researchers with expertise in process facilitation, evaluation methodology, place-making and urban design, nature-based solutions, co-creation, governance and leadership, health and well-being, and cultural heritage.

Project Overview

The project explores the role of electric vehicles (EVs) in social resilience and preparedness by studying how EVs are used in crisis and wartime situations in Ukraine, and by transferring lessons learned to a Swedish context. The study is based on interviews with EV owners in Ukraine, complemented by interviews with EV market stakeholders and other key actors. It is conducted in close collaboration with the Ukrainian research institute State Road Transport Research Institute (SRTRI) in Kyiv. By combining perspectives on electromobility, energy systems, and household behavior, the project develops new knowledge about how EVs can contribute to societal resilience.

The EV as a Resource in Crisis

While EVs primarily function as a means of transport, under certain conditions they also have the potential to serve as an energy resource—for example, by providing backup power to homes, neighborhoods, and local communities. The project investigates the extent to which this occurs in practice, and the conditions that could enable such a role from a preparedness perspective.

Lessons from Ukraine for Mutual Benefit

Ukraine offers unique experiences of EV use under severe conditions, providing valuable insights into how EVs can be utilized in times of crisis and uncertainty. By analyzing these experiences, the project identifies strategies, drivers, and barriers that can strengthen energy systems, charging infrastructure, and preparedness in both Sweden and Ukraine.

Knowledge That Makes a Difference

The project’s results provide municipalities, government agencies, and energy companies with concrete recommendations for planning electrification and crisis preparedness. For households, the project increases awareness of how EVs can be used as part of home preparedness, contributing to a more robust and sustainable society.

Future Dialogue in Västra Götaland is a collaborative project aimed at strengthening Region Västra Götaland’s capacity to work strategically, in a coordinated manner and on a knowledge-based foundation with long-term future-oriented issues. The project is based on the need to better manage uncertainty, complex societal challenges and transition through shared images of the future, dialogue and foresight.

Västra Götaland has many future-oriented objectives, particularly in relation to climate, the environment, mobility and regional development. At the same time, these objectives can be understood and translated into practice in different ways depending on place, target group and area of society. The project therefore does not focus on developing new visions or objectives, but on exploring what existing ones may mean in practice and how they can be used as a basis for shared learning, strategic choices and long-term planning.

Through several future dialogues in different parts of the region, digital seminars and joint analysis, the project develops and tests methods for dialogue, scenarios and foresight. The future dialogues are workshop-based meeting formats in which actors from the public sector, academia, culture, civil society, business and industry, and residents jointly explore and give concrete form to possible futures, including their conflicts of objectives, synergies and needs for change.

The project is carried out by Region Västra Götaland (VGR), RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, HDK-Valand at the University of Gothenburg, and the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI). Together, the partners combine expertise in regional development, foresight, mobility, spatial planning, artistic methods and design-based approaches.

The aim is for the project, by making images of the future more concrete, to contribute to increased regional capacity for foresight, strengthened dialogue between actors, and a more practically useful toolbox for regional planning and governance. The results will be compiled in the form of lessons learned, methods and recommendations that can be used in continued regional development work.

The project participants from each organisation are:

RISE Research Institutes of Sweden: Daniel Bengtsson & Hilma Andersson

Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI): Jacob Witzell, Karolina Isaksson & Claus Hedegaard Sørensen

HDK-Valand at the University of Gothenburg: Helena Kraff, Britta Teleman & Gloria López Cleries

Region Västra Götaland (VGR): Aako Raoofi, Sara Eriksson & Line de Verdier

Om projektet

Miljonprogrammets tvillingområden i omställning är ett forsknings- och innovationsprojekt som genomförs i Gottsunda i Uppsala och Biskopsgården i Göteborg – två områden med liknande förutsättningar och utvecklingsutmaningar. Projektet utgår från pågående stadsomvandlingsprocesser och undersöker hur fysisk utveckling, lokal ekonomi och social hållbarhet kan integreras för att skapa mer attraktiva, trygga och inkluderande livsmiljöer.

Projektet fokuserar på tre områden: 1. Områdesutveckling för minskad segregation; 2. Samhällsekonomisk transformation genom ökad sysselsättning och lokalt entreprenörskap; samt 3. Delaktighet och tillgänglighet genom universell utformning. Genom att följa och analysera konkreta insatser i de två områdena utvecklas metoder för att mäta och värdera sociala, ekonomiska och rumsliga effekter av stadsutveckling.

RISE leder projektet och ansvarar för metodutveckling, analys och utvärdering. Arbetet sker i nära samverkan med Göteborgs Stad, Framtidenkoncernen, Uppsala kommun, Uppsalahem och Hemmaplan. Resultatet blir nya verktyg, indikatorer och beslutsstöd som kan användas av kommuner, fastighetsägare och andra aktörer för att utveckla hållbara och inkluderande stadsdelar i hela Sverige.

Projektet finansieras av Vinnova genom ShiftSweden, ett av Sveriges nationella innovationsprogram inom Impact Innovation. Arbetet genomförs inom omställningslabbet Utnyttja momentum i stora omvandlingsprojekt, där forskare, kommuner och andra samhällsaktörer tillsammans utvecklar och testar lösningar för framtidens hållbara livsmiljöer.

Projektets tre fokusområden

1. Områdesutveckling – minskad segregation

Projektet ska utveckla och utvärdera integrerade insatser som stärker social, rumslig och miljömässig hållbarhet i Gottsunda och Biskopsgården. Fokus ligger på att minska barriärer mellan människor, verksamheter och stadsdelar samt att skapa mer attraktiva, trygga och sammanhängande livsmiljöer. Arbetet omfattar bland annat platsutveckling, utveckling av offentliga rum, levande bottenvåningar och torgutveckling. För att analysera effekterna används effektlogikbaserad områdesanalys, indikatorstyrning samt jämförande studier mellan de två tvillingområdena. Kvantitativa data kombineras med intervjuer, platsobservationer och andra kvalitativa metoder för att följa utvecklingen över tid.

2. Samhällsekonomisk transformation – ökad sysselsättning

Projektet ska stärka lokal ekonomi och skapa bättre förutsättningar för sysselsättning och entreprenörskap. Särskilt fokus riktas mot personer med svag anknytning till arbetsmarknaden samt lokala företag och verksamheter som bidrar till områdenas utveckling. Arbetet omfattar bland annat företagsinkubatorer, sysselsättningsinsatser och utveckling av modeller för lokalt värdeskapande. Effekterna analyseras med hjälp av BruttoLokalProdukt (BLP), som synliggör hur ekonomiska värden skapas och cirkulerar lokalt, samt Social Return on Investment (SROI), som värderar sociala och ekonomiska effekter i monetära termer. Före- och eftermätningar genomförs i båda områdena för att validera resultaten.

3. Delaktighet för tillgänglighet – inkluderande platser

Projektet ska utveckla och testa universell utformning som ett verktyg för ökad delaktighet och jämlik tillgång till stadens resurser. Målet är att skapa miljöer, tjänster och utvecklingsprocesser som fungerar för så många människor som möjligt, oavsett ålder, funktionsförmåga eller livssituation. Fokus ligger på tillgång till service, mobilitet, mötesplatser och möjligheten att påverka utvecklingen av den egna stadsdelen. Arbetet bygger på effektlogikbaserade platsanalyser, indikatorer för tillgänglighet och inkludering samt samskapande processer med boende och lokala aktörer. Projektet använder även så kallad double-loop learning, där både resultat och bakomliggande arbetssätt, normer och styrmodeller granskas och utvecklas.

Private consumption accounts for a significant proportion of Malmö’s climate impact and includes emissions generated both within and outside Sweden’s borders. To achieve the municipality’s climate targets, emissions need to be reduced from around 5.7 tonnes of CO₂e per person (2022) to 3.1 tonnes by 2030 and further to around 1 tonne by 2050. Today, emissions vary greatly between different households and neighbourhoods, often in line with income levels and lifestyle. This means that measures need to be designed to take social and geographical differences into account.

Therefore Malmö City Council commissioned RISE to produce an in-depth analysis and decision-making document setting out the scale of emissions reductions required, where the potential is greatest, and how the municipality can support a fair and effective transition.

Purpose and implementation

The aim of the project was to carry out a scenario-based analysis of the potential for reducing Malmö’s consumption-based emissions, to serve as a long-term strategic basis for the city’s ongoing climate work.

The work was carried out in three stages:

• Analysis of the current situation and variations in emissions across different parts of the city
• Development of four future scenarios with different levels of ambition
• Identification of possible measures, with a focus on feasibility, equity and societal benefits

Key findings

The results clearly show that the targets can only be achieved through a combination of lifestyle changes, infrastructure investments and technological development, with these measures reinforce one another. With only a few years remaining until 2030, the pace of the transition is crucial.

Measures need to cover all major areas of consumption, not just those with the highest emissions today, and many of the proposed measures can reduce emissions whilst also strengthening social cohesion, improving public health and contributing to more attractive urban environments.

The transition requires collaboration – within the municipality and with politicians, the business sector, civil society and residents, supported by national and international policy instruments. The municipality has a key role as a driving force through urban development, investment and norm-setting, and can thereby contribute to sustainable, positive and equitable social change.

Benefits

The project provides the City of Malmö with a concrete and action-oriented basis for prioritising and coordinating measures for climate-smart consumption, in both the short and long term. The results can also be used to support dialogue with residents and external stakeholders, as well as in efforts to integrate the consumption perspective into the city’s other areas of transition.

The methodology and conclusions are also relevant to other municipalities and regions facing similar challenges.

About the Project

BEAM ME UP! supports the transition towards a circular building sector by enabling more sustainable and resource-efficient urban development. The project focuses on improving how cities understand, predict, and manage material flows in the built environment, helping to reduce environmental impacts and support climate-neutral growth.

What We Do

The project develops advanced building stock models that combine top-down and bottom-up data, including spatial information, building regulations, and detailed building characteristics. This integrated approach ensures that models accurately reflect real-world building stocks across diverse urban contexts.

By applying machine learning and advanced estimation methods, BEAM ME UP! enhances the precision and detail of these models. This enables reliable predictions of material stocks and flows, supporting better planning, circular strategies, and more efficient use of resources.

Supporting Circular Cities

A central goal of BEAM ME UP! is to support decision-making in the construction and demolition cycle. The project’s predictive, geo-referenced models help identify materials available for reuse and guide their application in renovation, reconstruction, and new construction.

In addition, the project develops practical tools for architects and engineers, making it easier to integrate reused materials into design processes. This helps embed circular economy principles into everyday practice within the building sector.

Policy and Impact

BEAM ME UP! provides evidence-based insights to inform policies that promote circular construction and reduce dependence on virgin materials. By supporting public authorities with actionable knowledge, the project contributes to improved standards and governance for sustainable urban development.

Engagement and Knowledge Sharing

The project actively engages stakeholders across sectors, including public authorities, industry, academia, and civil society. Key activities include:

• Policy briefs and best-practice guidelines
• Workshops and webinars for cities and practitioners
• Conference presentations and scientific publications
• Public events and educational outreach

Through collaboration with partner cities and the DUT Knowledge Hub, BEAM ME UP! ensures that its results are tested in real-world contexts and shared widely across Europe.