Certification Systems and Urban Experiments

What is the thesis about?

At an overall level, the thesis examines how different actors can steer urban development toward a more sustainable direction. I have studied two types of tools commonly used in this work: certification systems for sustainable urban districts and urban experiments. The first part focuses on how such a certification system is developed in practice and on the trade-offs required in the process. The results show that there is no optimal solution; rather, the design involves balancing different requirements such as credibility, simplicity, and scope.

The second part of the thesis deals with urban experiments, that is, various types of pilot and test projects aimed at developing new solutions. Here, I examine how lessons from these projects can be captured and have an impact on mainstream urban development. I show that this transition is not straightforward and that municipalities need to work more actively to ensure that learning is actually translated into practice.

Why did you become interested in the topic?

I became interested in the topic out of frustration with the gap between knowledge and action. Today, we know a great deal about how human activity affects the environment and about the measures required to create more sustainable societies. We also have a fairly good understanding of how different measures need to interact to be effective.

However, it is less clear how this knowledge is translated into concrete action in urban development. Certification systems and urban experiments have been highlighted as important tools for driving change, but there is limited understanding of how they function in practice. This sparked my interest in studying these tools more closely to understand their possibilities and limitations better. The hope has been to contribute knowledge that supports efforts toward society’s sustainability goals.

What are the most important results?

A central result is that certification systems are not merely technical tools for measuring sustainability, but are shaped by trade-offs among requirements such as credibility, simplicity, and scope. These trade-offs influence which aspects of sustainability are highlighted and prioritized.

Regarding urban experiments, the thesis shows that municipalities do learn from this type of project, but that the potential is not fully utilized. For lessons to be scaled up, both a better articulation of what can be transferred from projects and organizational capacity to absorb this knowledge are required. It also involves, to a greater extent, building on existing solutions and working methods rather than constantly developing new ones.

Overall, the results show that it is not enough to generate new ideas; equal importance must be placed on disseminating, and not least adopting and implementing, existing knowledge.

Was there anything that surprised you?

One thing that surprised me was how significantly different concepts are for how work is carried out in practice. The concept of “scaling up” is a clear example. For some, it means copying the same solution exactly in a new location, which is often perceived as difficult because each location has its own conditions.

At the same time, scaling up can also involve spreading working methods, processes, or lessons rather than a specific technical solution. Making these different interpretations visible proved important for working more effectively with scaling. It became clear that many challenges are not about a lack of solutions, but about how we understand and organize the work of using them.

Who benefits from your results? What kind of impact might they have?

The results are particularly relevant for municipalities and for other actors working on sustainable urban development, such as property owners, consultants, and researchers. I am already seeing strong interest in how learning from urban experiments can be captured and scaled up.

The work has led to my involvement in research and development projects where I contribute knowledge on these issues. The thesis has also led to more practically oriented tools for structuring reflection on scaling. In this way, I hope the research not only contributes theoretical knowledge but also becomes useful in concrete projects and processes.

In the long term, this can contribute to more systematic and effective approaches to sustainable urban development.

What will you do after your dissertation / where can you be reached?

I have been an industrial PhD candidate and currently work at the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, where I continue to work on research and development projects related to sustainable urban development. These projects involve areas such as climate adaptation, circular and inclusive renovation, sustainable mobility, soil carbon sequestration, and ecosystem services in cities.

For me, the period after the dissertation means continuing to work closely with municipalities and other actors across Sweden.