Marcus Adolphson

RESEARCH PROJECTS(ongoing and selected)

• Review study: Urban transformation of office districts: towards new structures, identities and sustainable living environments. Funded by ArkDes. (RE-purpose)

• Stepwise Planning Pathways for Land Use in a Changing Coast (STEPMARK)

• Bringing water-sensitive urban design into digital twins of cities, creating a visual canvas tool through and for participatory planning perspectives (AQUASSAVY). Funded by Driving Urban Transition (DUT).

• Coastal climate adaptation through flexible land use (COALA)

• Urban morphology, lifestyles and travel behaviour

• Complexity, democracy and planning

• Urban structure and social theory. Book project.

PUBLICATIONS(recent and selected. Titles translated into english)

• Developing institutional capacity for flexible coastal climate change adaptation planning in Sweden.European Journal of Spatial Development(2026). Link

• Recognizing institutional capacity-building through triple access scenarios for local transport futures: A Swedish experience. (2026).Case Studies on Transport Policy.Link

• Adaptive planning – a solution to the problem of flooding?Konstkiosk #6 – COALA Kalmar(2025). Link

• Urban morphology, lifestyles and work-related travel behaviour: Evidence from the Stockholm region.Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives(2022). Link

• Spatial Lifestyle Clusters and Access to the City: Evidence from the Stockholm Region.Sustainability(2022). Link

• Uncovering the theory–practice gap in Swedish transport planning: an interdisciplinary approach.European Planning Studies(2020). Link

• Tellus Towers, a meaningful building in the sustainable city? InHus mot himlen: Hållbar hybris?Arena Publishing (2018). Link

• What are we talking about when we talk about urbanism? InUrbanismer. Nordic Academic Press. Link

• The role of official heritage in regional spaces.Urban Research & Practice.Link

• A Stranger in the Consumer City. InDet förflutna i framtidens stad. Nordic Academic Press. Link

PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS: TWO MAIN THEMES

Urban morphology

The first theme is primarily practical in character: urban morphology – the use and transformation of urban structure. This theme is closely related to social, economic and ecological sustainability.

Urban ontology

The second theme, urban ontology, is more theoretical in character. Theurbancan be understood in many different ways on the basis of different planning theories, philosophical theories, social theories and political theories. Our understanding of the relationship between individuals, social structures and the environment is therefore value-laden and theory-dependent. Increasing our understanding of this complexity has been – and remains – a central theme of my research.

TEACHING(selected)

• Lecturer:Traditions in the Philosophy of Science, in the courseTheory of Science and Research Methodology for Planning and Design(AG2126)

• Lecturer:Systems Planning from a Social-Theoretical Perspective, inPlanning Actors and Processes(AG1138)

• Course Coordinator:Urban Infrastructure(AG2141)

• Seminar Leader:Literature Seminar in Theory of Science and Research Methodology for Planning and Research(AG2126)