Spatial Planning
At BTH's Swedish School of Planning, we research how planning influences and governs societal development. We investigate how planning processes are initiated, which actors participate and how different governance mechanisms - from legislation and ideologies to technologies and professional norms - influence spatial development.
We also study the environmental and sustainability impacts of planning and how it is changing in response to societal challenges such as climate change, globalisation and changing political structures.
An interdisciplinary research field
Spatial planning is part of society's governance system and research is conducted in a number of disciplines, including architecture, sociology, political science, human geography and environmental science. This breadth is reflected in our research environment where different disciplines interact.
Our researchers do not work in separate groups but in networks and individual projects. The research can be divided into two overall fields:
- Planning as a governance system - how planning affects societal development.
- The built environment - how planning outcomes shape physical and social environments.
Research on planning as a control system
Research in this area examines how planning functions as a governance mechanism for community development. We study, among other things:
- How legislation, policy ideas, technologies and professional norms influence planning processes.
- Which institutions and actors participate in planning and how their roles change over time.
- How the democratic dimensions of planning are evolving, particularly the opportunities for citizen participation.
- How societal trends such as climate change, globalisation, supranationalism and decentralisation affect the role and function of planning.
Research on the built environment
Here we focus on how planning outcomes affect the physical environment and people's experiences of it. Research includes:
- How perceptions of space influence the design of urban and landscape environments.
- How physical and social factors create and shape spatial structures.
- How planning ideals such as safety, integration and meetings are translated into concrete built environments.
- How urban form affects mobility, activity patterns and identity.
National and international research
At BTH, research is conducted in both national and international projects. One of our research projects includes six PhD students and four senior researchers and is part of an EU-funded consortium with four European universities. We also collaborate with researchers at Stockholm University and are part of a broad Nordic research network.
Research on planning for sustainable development is a central part of our work and is mainly conducted at the Department of Spatial Planning. By combining knowledge from several disciplines, we develop new perspectives and methods for creating sustainable and inclusive societies.
Our researchers
- Prof. Abdellah Abarkan abdellah.abarkan@bth.se
- Prof. Peter Schlyter peter.schlyter@bth.se
- Associate Professor Sabrina Fredin sabrina.fredin@bth.se
- Associate Professor. Patrik Klintenberg patrik.klintenberg@bth.se
- Dr. Jimmie Andersén jimmie.andersen@bth.se
Research students
- Ida Nilsson ida.nilsson@bth.se
- Tirtha Rasaili tirtha.rasaili@bth.se
