Malmö, Sweden: A testing ground for integrated sustainable solutions

By: Mark Wessel, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability

The former industrial shipyard Western Harbour boasts a heavy concentration of green roofs and a heat pump plant that provides residents with heating and cooling. The neighbourhood of Augustenborg is known for its focus on climate adaptation and social and green regeneration initiatives. Hyllie for its smart energy solutions, Sege Park for its sharing economy, and Sofielund for localising the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (or SDGs) at the neighbourhood level.

In their own unique way, each of these communities has achieved excellence in sustainable development, and they are all neighbourhoods of Malmö, Sweden.

Reflecting its eclectic mix of places to live, Malmö Mayor Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh describes her city as “a testing site for sustainable solutions,” which she says has been fuelled by such overarching goals as “breaking down physical barriers that are segregating our city. And making sure that the planning is inclusive and human-centric.”

All this, while at the same time, striving to meet more rigorous environmental standards.

Cities leading the way

With Malmö’s comprehensive approach to becoming more sustainable, a process that began more than 20 years ago, it’s no wonder that in 2015 it became Sweden’s first city to commit to the UN’s SDGs. In the wake of that commitment, Stjernfeldt Jammeh proudly observes that “today our city’s annual budget is in line with all of the SDGs and we’re working hard to achieve the [SDG] objectives by 2030.”

Stjernfeldt Jammeh said cities are “the vanguard of tackling global issues on a local, national, and global level.”

Malmö’s approach also reflects ICLEI’s five pathways towards low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development to catalyse systemic change.

As a rapidly growing city, Malmö has faced challenges as it has evolved from an industrial city to a modern, climate-smart university city within a relatively short 20-year timeframe. This period, interestingly enough, goes back to when the magnificent Øresund Bridge was built, connecting Malmö with Copenhagen and the rest of Europe. One could argue that marked the beginning of the city’s efforts to become better connected with other subnational governments on multiple levels.

Fast-forward to today and Stjernfeldt Jammeh says Malmö has become “a young and global city, with more than 180 nationalities represented in the population, located in the biggest labour market region of the north.” But she frankly admits that with rapid change “has come certain challenges… which I believe are relatable to many cities around the world.” Among these she says, “is how to build dense and vibrant cities without pushing people away from their residential area or threatening the natural areas.”

Lessons learned

Looking back on all of the changes that have taken place at the local level, Stjernfeldt Jammeh observes that each community “investment” has taught them something new and illustrated the strength of an integrated approach to sustainable urban development. For instance, “Augustenborg has taught us to adapt to the climate. And the lessons from building Western Harbour have been incorporated in the general idea of how we can build a whole and sustainable city – socially, economically and environmentally.”

Western Harbour’s remarkable post-industrial transition to a vibrant community has garnered worldwide attention, including an article earlier this year in the Guardian with the headline “Swede Dreams, can Malmö’s Green Points System Help Rewild London?” which touches on everything from the city’s commitment to becoming carbon neutral to major efforts within the Western Harbour to promote biodiversity.

Despite such success stories, a recurring theme for Stjernfeldt Jammeh is the conviction of “leaving no one behind” and ensuring environmental success stories go hand in hand with the need to build a more inclusive society. As such, she says the city needs to “grow both fast, and at the same time [in a way that is] socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable. These three areas of sustainability need to work in mutual symbiosis and cooperation. It is vital for the development of Malmö to create a socially balanced city with good living conditions for all its citizens.”

Malmö is the host city of the ICLEI World Congress 2021-2022 which was launched virtually last month. Throughout the rest of 2021, the platform will explore critical topics in sustainable urban development in a virtual event series. The in-person Malmö Summit will take place on May 11-13, 2022.

Stjernfeldt Jammeh said it will be an opportunity to showcase “not only how new climate-smart areas are emerging, but also how older areas are being redeveloped through new technology.”

 Image: Elisabeth Sandberg (SkD)