From an area under threat to a space of opportunity – Tynnered is paving the way for social sustainability.

Encouragingly, Tynnered is no longer classified as a particularly vulnerable area. However, according to Karin Jaxmark, project manager for Destination Tynnered, there is still much to be done.

Four years ago, when politicians in Gothenburg decided that there should be no particularly vulnerable areas, the initiative in Tynnered gained extra momentum. Even before then, Tynnered had launched an initiative involving measures to increase safety, renovate façades, and develop outdoor environments.

The ORKA initiative is being implemented together with RISE, Stena Fastigheter, Volvo Cars and the Foundation for Building Management Issues. It focuses on four areas: urban development, education, leisure and work.

'The aim is to increase safety in Tynnered, while also boosting pride in growing up and living in the area,' explains Karin Jaxmark. 'No child should have to grow up in a disadvantaged area,' explains Karin Jaxmark. Our other goals include better school results than the Gothenburg average, more people in work and summer jobs, modern mobility solutions, and more new housing.

An important part of our work involves collaborating with tenants, local businesses, the City of Gothenburg and civil society to develop new approaches that support socially sustainable urban development. Our aim is to act as a catalyst for positive change in Tynnered, working alongside other organisations committed to this goal.

Volvo Cars recognises the benefits of this work.

Collaboration with the region's major vehicle manufacturers has been an important part of the positive development in Tynnered. According to Pontus Berger, who works with talent attraction and social inclusion at Volvo Cars, it is quite natural that Volvo Cars is involved in the work to develop Tynnered.

'It's a matter of survival for us. We need to find tomorrow's workforce. By 2027, the automotive industry in the Gothenburg area alone will require 10,000 new employees. When we see large groups of people outside the labour market who are unable to pass primary and secondary school, it is important to actively address these issues," he says.

Pontus Berger continues:

The fantastic thing about working in Tynnered is that we are finding talented people to work for us. In essence, what is good for Gothenburg is good for Volvo Cars. It's really not more complicated than that. However, success takes work.

Create positive development

The initiative has clear goals. For example, the aim is to help 500 people find employment. Pontus Berger acknowledges that this goal is difficult to measure.

One obvious criticism is that if the number of people in work increases in Tynnered, how can you be sure that it is thanks to your work? The truth is that we cannot know. There may be an economic boom or other factors at play. However, the important thing is to create a positive spiral and contribute to the area's development. Who gets the credit is not important, he says.

One of the lessons learned from Pontus Berger's work is that everyone involved in an activity or initiative should be included.

'Commitment is essential, and it can be encouraged in various ways. We recognise that parents play an extremely important role in this work, so we often initiate activities involving the whole family,' he explains.

Housing companies and the business community

Magnus Johansson is a researcher and social sustainability expert at RISE. He and his colleagues support the work in Tynnered. He recognises the benefits of Familjebostäder, Volvo and Stena Fastigheter working closely together.

It is interesting to see how the involvement of the business community can transform a residential area. Volvo recognises the challenge of recruiting the workforce of the future, a problem that affects industrial Sweden as a whole. It is crucial that the region's leading employers address these issues. Another important lesson is the support from management at Familjebostäder, Stena Fastigheter and Volvo Cars,' says Magnus Johansson, continuing:

'At RISE, we identify lessons that can be passed on to other residential areas in Sweden, helping them to get a head start in their work. It's important to build on existing work and start from each area's specific conditions," he says.

Karin Jaxmark also mentions RISE's role in the work as important for moving forward:

- The collaboration with RISE is important to us and has developed very positively during the course of the work. It gives us moments for reflection and we are challenged and supported in our work, which is useful, she says.

Pontus Berger agrees:  

- We are doing this together and gaining a wealth of knowledge and experience. It is important that Magnus and his colleagues from RISE not only follow the work but also contribute their knowledge and experience, he explains.

Magnus Johansson sums up:

- It's all about strengthening individuals and building collective capacity in residential areas. People should feel that they have the freedom to choose their own direction in life. Secure neighbourhoods and a sense of belonging are important here. Back to Volvo's reason for getting involved in this work: it doesn't matter how well companies are doing if there aren't people who can work there. We need a strong civil society that acts together. Our work at RISE is about finding ways of working, examples and models to reverse the negative trend in areas where things have gone wrong, but also to prevent problems from arising in the first place.