Last week, the Nordic City Network’s latest urban lab took place in the small town of Genarp in Lund municipality, Sweden. The lab gathered 65 politicians and planners from Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Norway and Sweden to explore what makes smaller towns attractive and discuss strategies for enhancing Genarp’s appeal.
To inspire the discussions, the Network invited several guest speakers, including Nordregio’s Anna Granath Hansson who presented findings from our ongoing research project Small Town Attractiveness, funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
The project examines how national policies on urban attractiveness are implemented in six smaller Nordic towns, with a focus on public space, housing, and connectivity. Anna highlighted the importance of creating vibrant town centers, ensuring a varied and affordable housing supply, and improving access to efficient and affordable connectivity solutions. The project’s final results are set to be released in January 2025.
During the panel discussion, Anna also emphasized the need for greater regional cooperation: “Going forward, it would be beneficial to focus less on conflicts of interest or competition between smaller towns and cities. Instead, we should recognise our shared challenges and work together to find solutions. Issues like climate change and transportation must be tackled collaboratively, involving the entire rural-urban continuum.”
Other guest speakers also provided valuable insights. Bo René Schjødt Andersen from Fredericia, Denmark, highlighted their town’s strategy for attracting new residents, identifying five key factors: natural surroundings, strong community ties, efficient mobility solutions, affordable housing, and quality public institutions.
Camilla Ottosson, project coordinator for the BY2030 initiative, shared how the Region of Kronoberg in Sweden is working closely with local communities to co-create sustainable futures for small villages. Meanwhile, Anna Kanervo from Norrköping’s municipal housing company inspired attendees by detailing a successful collaboration with a local church and municipal departments to revitalize a struggling local center.
The lab fostered a creative and collaborative space for exploring ways small towns like Genarp can boost their attractiveness and thrive in the future. We are excited to further contribute to these discussions with our final research results, which will be released next year.
