Case Summary
For more than a decade, the City of Malmo has invested in progressive climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives as it works towards its goal to be a world leader in sustainable urban development. The city has committed to becoming climate neutral by 2020, and by 2030 the city is further committed to energy use based entirely on 100% renewable energy. Malmö is advancing citywide climate change policies, adaptation strategies, education strategies in partnership with the local university, as well as recycling, waste management, biomass, and city beautification projects.

This case study examines the city’s sustainable urban development initiatives and climate change strategies, in particular the redevelopment of a brownfield site located in the Western Harbour District, and the revitalization of an existing housing and industrial estate, the Augustenborg District. A once decaying industrial area, the Western Harbour District has been transformed into a sustainable urban environment with its own energy supply, energy efficient buildings and residences, household, surface and waste management systems, and very few cars. An aging district from the 1950’s, the Augustenborg District has been revitalized into a sustainable urban environment with improved water management, green roofs, renewable energy and recycling projects.

Research revealed that the success of the city’s initiatives is based on a combination of statewide comprehensive legislative and policy leadership, innovative integrated design strategies, stable access to unique funding opportunities, educational programs, and commitment to multi-stakeholder processes that ensures community commitment and implementation. As well, since decision-making is located at the municipal level due to the high level of decentralization in Sweden, Swedish municipalities are able to directly implement projects uniquely designed to meet the needs of their communities, and have access to the necessary funding and political support for local projects.

Sustainable Development Characteristics
Climate change adaptation and mitigation is one of the world’s most critical socio-political imperatives. The need to connect the fields of climate change and sustainable development has been increasingly recognized by many experts and scientific panels (Swart et al., 2003). The Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) argued that sustainable development may be the most effective way to frame the mitigation question (Banuri et al., 2001) and a crucial dimension of climate change adaptation and impacts (Smit et al., 2001). And the linkage between climate change and broader issues related to population, lifestyles, environment and development is a constant theme in a recent state-of-the-art review of social science literature relevant to climate change (Rip & Kemp, 1998). Clearly, “integrated policy development may not only provide new opportunities, but may even be a prerequisite for successfully addressing both issues” (Swart et al., 2003: 819), as evidenced in this case study.

Critical Success Factors
Sweden is recognized as one of the most progressive countries in the European Union (EU) for climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, policies and action. As early as 1991, the Swedish government introduced a carbon tax with the goal of eliminating the country’s dependency on fossil fuel, by 2020. It also developed its first sustainable development strategy in 2002, which included a suite of legislation and financial incentives available to municipalities to implement climate change mitigation and adaptation practices. The EU also provides funding for sustainable urban development initiatives, including funding for educational programs. A key characteristic of the Swedish government’s sustainable development strategy is the system-wide and integrated approach it encourages for the implementation of sustainable development.

Following the collapse of the Kockums shipyards and the closing of the SAAB plant in the Western Harbour, the city council and stakeholders seized the opportunity to develop a clear and well-defined vision for the future City of Malmö. Mayor Ilmar Reepalu calls the development of a vision rather than a plan a significant step “because it demonstrates that adopting a vision gets results.”

As consensus is intrinsic to Swedish policy decision-making, a multi-stakeholder approach was adopted for determining a new vision of the City of Malmö. Stakeholders agreed and committed to the city transforming itself into a centre for knowledge and an eco-city.

As well, the city’s continuing multi-project approach to achieving its vision is regarded by city officials as a major contributor to the progress the city has achieved in a relatively short time.

Professor Ann Dale, Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Community Development, Trudeau Fellow (2004), Royal Roads University, School of Environment and Sustainability, Faculty of Social and Applied Sciences, Published January 25, 2011 

Source: Community Research Connections, Canada Royal Roads University
photo: Justin Brown/imagebank.sweden.se