Skip to main content

Rosa Danenberg

Profile picture of Rosa Danenberg

About me

Rosa Danenberg is PhD Candidate at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, department of Urban Planning and Environment, division Urban and Regional studies, and was affiliated with the Centre of the Future of Places before it closed in 2021. Her research is supervised by Dr. Tigran Haas (KTH), Emily Talen (University of Chicago) and Ulrika Gunnarsson-Östling (SEED KTH).

Previous education:Rosa holds a MSc degree in Sustainable Urban Planning and Design from KTH Royal Institute of Technology (2013-2015) and a BSc degree in Social Science (major: Organisation Science and Public Administration) from VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2009-2012). Her academic profile is complemented with exchange semesters at ITU Istanbul Technical University, Turkey (Fall 2014) and CU Copenhagen University, Denmark (Fall 2011).

Rosa's research is titled 'The Future of Street-Based Retail' and investigates the changing dynamics of urban commercial streets. Concerns are growing with regards to the existence and survival of street-based retail due to the rise of online commerce, changing lifestyles and travel patterns, and the globalizing property market. Urban commercial streets are traditionally the vital public spaces where social and economic activities coexist and which serve the dual role of destination (place) and for movement (link).

This is a normative study concerned with understanding the dynamics that intersect in this complex public space. The research builds on theoretical underpinnings from the disciplines of urban sociology, urban design and planning, retail management and urban morphology. Furthermore, the objects being studied are the frontages, ground floor design and activities, property owners and management - and their change. 

The objective is to contribute to the debate about the future of street-based retail. This is done through creating a database with empirical data (2009 and 2019) from four main streets in Stockholm to document the change between those years. Also through contexualize the quantitative data with help of in-depth interviews and focus groups that have been held with planners, designers, retail experts, small business owners and property owners. During the pandemic, a survey and interviews have informed the research about the varying strategies and challenges by small business owners. The broad varied of methods include spatial and statistical analyses, interviews and focus groups, and ethnographic observations.

Professionally, Rosa has been self-employed since 2012. As a freelancer, she works with community, art and public space analysis. See www.studiodanenberg.com for more info.


Courses

Degree Project in Urban and Regional Planning, Second Cycle (AG212X), teacher | Course web