Publications

This report offers new insights into the challenges, strengths and opportunities of Nordic cities in their climate efforts. It highlights future measures for local, regional and national governments to take. It is the culmination of the Nordic Climate Neutral Cities (NCNC) project, which examines how cities in the Nordic Region are striving to achieve climate neutrality through spatial planning. Based on a multilevel governance approach and in-depth analysis of nine case studies – Aarhus and Vejle (Denmark), Tampere and Oulu (Finland), Reykjavík (Iceland), Trondheim and Kristiansand (Norway) and Lund and Växjö (Sweden) – the report provides new insights into governance challenges, financial constraints, regulatory barriers and spatial planning trade-offs. The report also highlights Nordic cities’ leadership, strong climate commitments and innovative local solutions. The findings underscore the need for improved governance coordination, stronger financial support and policy adjustments to accelerate climate action. While Nordic cities have demonstrated strong commitment to sustainability, they also often grapple with outdated national regulations that limit their ability to implement ambitious climate policies. Key takeaways for action include: Overall, achieving climate neutrality will require Nordic cities to unite the efforts of diverse stakeholders, align frameworks and incentives with a shared vision, address knowledge gaps and collaborate closely with other levels of government.

Connectivity powers everything from smart farming to remote healthcare. Yet rural areas remain underserved and understudied. This working paper identifies key indicators and policies for balancing business potential with social outcomes for Nordic-Baltic smart communities.

In recent decades, Nordic cities have witnessed a general trend towards increased urban segregation, which has led to a wide range of policy and planning interventions addressing these issues across the Nordic countries. Against this background, this report examines how Nordic governments and cities address challenges of urban segregation through various policies, strategies, and plans that seek to foster greater social inclusion. The report also explores how the state and municipalities interact, as well as how public sector organisations and other actors work together to tackle segregation and foster social inclusion. The study focuses on four main themes: The study relies on a multi-case study approach, investigating 13 city cases across the five Nordic countries.

This report offers 12 key policy messages designed to drive urban transformation at the local level. Drawing on lessons learned within the seven Urban Living Labs (ULLs) in the TANGO-W project, these recommendations equip policymakers with actionable strategies to tackle contemporary challenges facing European cities. The policy messages in this report are organised according to the three key areas of urban sustainability transitions approach: structures, practices, and relationships.  Policy messages concerning STRUCTURES focus on how public organisations can be configured to foster innovation and effectively address contemporary challenges. These recommendations are connected to system awareness and memory, collaboration across various agency levels, and coordination between political and administrative . The goal of these structural policy messages is to empower local entities to lead and drive change.  Policy messages on PRACTICES shed light on how public organisations can develop, implement and sustain the necessary skills, resources, capabilities, and routines to effectively tackle contemporary challenges. Practices encompass UTC components such as learning and reflexivity, transformative leadership, sustainability foresight, and the integration of innovative practices into everyday routines. They focus on innovative working methods that facilitate the translation of broad environmental and societal goals into actionable local practices and projects. Moreover, these practices support the assessment and reflection on the progress of initiatives, fostering the generation of new knowledge.  Policy messages concerning RELATIONSHIPS focus on collaborative connections with external stakeholders that are facilitated by innovative structures and practices. These relationships are key to fostering inclusive and multifaceted urban governance, empowering communities of practice, and experimenting with disruptive solutions. Such capacities highlight the importance of inclusive and adaptive governance, engaging a diverse range of stakeholders from various sectors in the decision-making process.  Find more reports from the TANGO-W project here.

In an evolving risk landscape characterised by extreme weather events, natural disasters, as well as geopolitical turmoil and hybrid threats, it is essential to build and maintain robust and resilient societies capable of withstanding and managing both environmental disasters and human-made crises. This policy brief analyses how regional policy can contribute to civil preparedness and robustness in Nordic rural areas. This policy brief examines how regional policy can enhance civil preparedness and resilience by strengthening cooperation, ensuring access to critical resources, and supporting sustainable transitions. Key aspects include crisis prevention, emergency services, food and energy security, and access to essential public services. The findings highlight the role of strategic regional planning in building more resilient and adaptable Nordic communities. The policy brief has been drafted as a part of the ‘Robust Regional Preparedness‘ project. You can also download the policy brief in Swedish.

This publication is a culmination of the challenges, lessons learned, and good practices of cycling in the capital cities and regions of the Nordic countries. Derived from the research and discussions among network participants, this publication highlights eight common myths about the role of the bicycle as a mode of transport in the Nordic Region. Each myth is followed by an evidence-based rebuttal, confronting the inaccurate claims and uprooting the underlying problem. After each reality statement, we provide suggestions and good practices, based on both desk research and contributions from practitioners in the Nordic Cycle Power Network.

Den här rapporten är del av ett nordiskt projekt vars övergripande syfte har varit att undersöka hur regionalpolitik på bästa sätt kan bidra till att tillgodose civil beredskap och robusthet i nordiska landsbygder under perioder av kris. I det nya risklandskapet är ett robust samhälle, med kapacitet att stå emot och hantera både miljökatastrofer och mänskligt orsakade kriser, högst eftersträvansvärt. Regioner och kommuner kan bidra till robusthet och civil beredskap genom att upprätthålla samarbetsförmåga och utveckla innovativa lösningar för en hållbar omställning, tillika säkra tillgången till mat, råmaterial, energi och service för sina invånare, både i fredstid och i perioder av kris. Inom ramen för studien definieras civil beredskap genom följande aspekter: förebyggande och trygghetsskapande åtgärder i samhället, räddningstjänst och krisberedskap, matsäkerhet inklusive livsmedelsförsörjning, energiförsörjning, försörjning av råmaterial (främst mineraler och metaller), samt tillgång till (offentlig) service. This policy brief is part of a Nordic project ‘Robust Regional Preparedness‘ analysing how regional policy can contribute to civil preparedness and robustness in Nordic rural areas during periods of crisis. In the current risk landscape characterised by both environmental disasters and man-made crises, regions and municipalities can also contribute to robustness and civil preparedness by maintaining cooperation and developing innovative solutions for a sustainable transition, while also securing access to food, raw materials, energy and services for their residents, both in peacetime and in periods of crisis. The policy brief is also available in English. For more, see the additional resources (linked below) from the project for details.

Latest research and implications for planners and policymakers This report examines how remote work is reshaping urban and regional development in the Nordic Region, highlighting remote work’s influence on residential preferences, mobility, workforce distribution, and the attractiveness of rural areas. Six thematic areas are identified as having a spatial impact: transportation, urban-rural linkages, digital nomadism, co-working spaces, housing, urban cores, and polycentric cities. Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has changed how people live and work. Since 2021, Nordregio has studied the tools and policies used in Nordic countries to support remote work. This report aims to discuss the research results within Nordregio’s Remote work and multilocality post-pandemic project and the latest international literature exploring the spatial implications of remote work. In doing so, we understand how remote work can be integrated into urban and regional development, planning, and policymaking within the Nordic Region. We identified six thematic areas in which remote work practices are making a spatial influence on urban, rural, and regional development: (1) challenges and opportunities for transportation, (2) urban-rural linkages, (3) digital nomadism, co-working spaces, and third places, (4) attractive and affordable housing fit for work-live arrangements, (5) impacts on urban cores, and (6) polycentric cities and the 15-minute city ideal. The report provides a discussion of planning and policy implications, categorised under three areas: transportation, the built environment, and sustainability. The report highlights several recommendations, such as to safeguard public transport, support investments in measures to boost small-town and rural attractiveness, encourage development according to work-live (mixed-use) designs and 15-minute city principles, promote a diverse and affordable housing supply, enable access to digital infrastructure, plan for residents who also do not have the possibility to work remotely, and reconsider research frameworks and data collection based on the unique spatial patterns of remote work.

What does it take to build a robust society that can withstand crises? Draw inspiration from a selection of good practice examples on civil preparedness and crisis response in the Nordics. Take a tour across the Nordic Region and learn more about inspiring initiatives in different parts of the Nordics to enhance civil preparedness, resilience and crisis response capacities at the local level. The examples cover measures ranging from dealing with extreme weather, to addressing food security, energy provision, raw materials, as well as access to public services and essential infrastructure.  The storymap showcases a selection of 24 examples of civil preparedness and crisis response in the Nordics. The examples illustrate the broad scope of regional civil preparedness initiatives in the Nordic Region and highlight the diversity of contributions from public authorities at the level of the state, regions and municipalities, as well as private businesses and civil society organisations. They also emphasise the key role of cooperation between individuals, colleagues, sectors in a municipality, between municipalities, between sectors in the region, between regions, within the state, as well as between states. This storymap has been produced as a part of the Robust Regional Preparedness project that explores how regional policies in the Nordic countries can enhance civil preparedness and resilience during crises.

Cross-border municipalities in Sweden and its Nordic neighbours are already well integrated. They have strong links and cooperate closely, in particular through cross-border committees involving local and regional authorities or through direct cooperation at the municipal level. However, issues hindering greater integration of cross-border municipalities and regions remain. This study focuses on three cases in the Swedish-Finnish, Swedish-Norwegian and Swedish-Danish border regions that face different topographical challenges. Through interviews with local and regional stakeholders, the main challenges with regard to furthering cross-border integration were identified.  In addition, four research axes for sharing-potential were identified on the basis of the interviews and later discussed during a workshop held with stakeholders from municipalities, regions and national authorities from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark. In this report, our research focuses on the following key questions:

This report explores the potential of Urban Agriculture (UA) to enhance food security, improve resource efficiency, and promote smart, resilient, and circular cities. The discussion is framed within the scope of the Horizon 2020 project ‘Sino-European Innovative Green and Smart Cities’ (SiEUGreen) which explored different pathways to turn waste into resources for growing food in cities through the combination of different technologies. These technologies were tested in five showcases: Campus Ås, in Ås, Norway; World Gardens and Brabrand Fællesgartneriet community gardens in Aarhus, Denmark; Turunçlu greenhouse in Atakya, Turkey; Sanyuan Farm, in Beijing, and Futiancangjun residential area in Changsha, China.  The insights and knowledge gained with these showcases were the basis to discuss the barriers and drivers of UA in the transition to more sustainable and resilient circular cities, across five aspects (1) environmental, (2) technological, (3) economic, (4) social and cultural and (5) regulatory and institutional issues. The results suggest that city food provision and UA systems can be designed considering circular economy regenerative cycles, but it is important to promote local research that can highlight policy solutions to address context-related barriers and limitations. Among the main lessons learned across the different aspects, we highlight:

This report presents the grid-based Nordic urban–rural typology, a tool for studying spatial phenomena across Nordic territories. Through seven different typology classes based on different degrees of urbanity and rurality, the typology helps to provide a more nuanced and fine-grained understanding of territorial differences across the Nordic countries. The report show that the Nordic countries are predominantly rural when considering how their land areas are classified. However, settlement is unevenly distributed in all Nordic countries, with the majority of people living in urban areas. The analysis shows that urbanisation has been a general trend the past couple of decades, with peri-urban areas growing too. Rural areas have faced depopulation in general, apart from rural areas in the vicinity of cities, which have become more attractive. The Nordic urban-rural typology and more fine-grained data can help reveal territorial differences that cannot be observed with more general statistics and data. This grid-based typology shows that many municipalities are at the same time both urban, intermediate, and rural, and in many cases these different categories seem to be undergoing quite different types of development.

This report examines national support intiatives for sustainable urban planning through municipal case studies in each Nordic country.

Has remote work post-pandemic expanded the influence of Nordic capitals on surrounding towns? Through case studies in five Nordic towns, the report focused on how remote work opportunities influence small-town attractiveness, population retention, and planning strategies. It explores the effects on populations, urban-rural landscapes, and planning needs. The findings reveal a shift in population dynamics, with people moving from capitals to smaller towns, leveraging remote work’s flexibility. This shift presents opportunities and challenges for regional development, highlighting the need for further research to navigate the complexities of remote work’s long-term implications. Despite remote work becoming common, the study found little proof that remote work opportunities have made these towns more attractive.  Remote or hybrid work can attract new populations and highly qualified personnel, enhancing towns’ attractiveness without necessarily increasing the population. Ongoing research is needed to fully understand remote work’s potential and inform policy and planning to attract new residents and visitors.

This study investigates the role of remote work in enhancing the resilience of rural and remote municipalities in the Nordic countries, highlighting the shift towards hybrid work models. The report presents six case studies, each detailing the context, challenges and opportunities associated with remote work. The study found that many public authorities lack formal remote work policies, relying on pre-existing or pandemic-developed frameworks aimed at work-life balance. The research points to remote work’s potential for attracting and retaining residents and skilled workers, crucial for rural development, despite challenges like the need for improved digital infrastructure and the absence of formal policies. Initiatives like co-working spaces and the focus on enhancing regional attractiveness through quality of life and infrastructure investments are seen as key to leveraging remote work for sustainable regional development. However, the study also notes obstacles such as legislative issues and the need for comprehensive strategies to fully realise the benefits of remote work for rural revitalisation. Remote work offers a pathway to sustainable development in Nordic regions by introducing new skills, enhancing business innovation, and improving public services, which helps combat out-migration and boosts quality of life. For maximum impact, investments in digital infrastructure, supportive work environments, and regional attractiveness are crucial, paving the way for a more vibrant and sustainable future.

This handbook is the culmination of the NORDGREEN project, which develops and implements smart planning and management solutions for well-designed, high-quality green spaces that promote health and well-being. Researchers and practitioners worked alongside one another in six Nordic cities, and the handbook provides practitioners with a TOOLBOX of adaptable methods, models, and guidelines for delivering health-promoting green spaces to consider in their own contexts.

Denna policy brief är baserad på ”Hur kan förutsättningarna för att fler ska kunna bo i socialt hållbara bogemenskaper förbättras?" Rekommendationerna i policy briefen utgår från resultaten av litteraturstudien och de potentiella lösningar som framhålls i dem.

Denna studie undersöker möjligheten att utveckla bogemenskaper till en ekonomiskt mer åtkomlig och socialt inkluderande boendeform för en bredare del av befolkningen i Sverige. Syftet är att bidra med ökad kunskap om hur de svenska förutsättningarna för att fler ska kunna bo i socialt hållbara bogemen­skaper kan förbättras.

This paper reviews how Nordic countries are working to improve cycling via policy and planning. It takes a national-level approach to review cycling objectives, mechanisms and key actors in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.

The FUME project investigated how migration has shaped Amsterdam, Rome, Copenhagen, and Krakow, using data to understand segregation patterns. The findings indicate that despite variations in size, foreign population structure, and migration history, residential segregation, measured using grid cell level data, is surprisingly similar in three cities – Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Rome. However, Krakow stands out as an exception due to its recent immigrant influx and a smaller migrant population. Even in Krakow, there’s a noticeable downward trend in the dissimilarity index, reflecting a more even allocation of migrants across the city. The storymap includes population estimates and projections by foreign status for cities, which allows decision-makers to use the data in a very flexible way. To achieve this, cutting-edge methods were used such as machine learning and the most available spatially detailed data that is available is collected. The harmonized set of historical data and results of multi-scenario demographic projections allows researchers to study not only past spatial distribution, but also possible futures of spatial processes in cities under different national and regional scenarios; not only those related to population and migration (e.g., changes in the size and structure of mobility flows), but also scenarios of urban development (e.g., investments in infrastructure, housing, transport).