What are we doing to prepare our cities for the future?

Noel Morrin, Skanska AB

In 2050, over 80 per cent of the world’s population is expected to live in cities. Therefore major climate change challenges lie in cities, but cities are also where the potential to combat the climate threat is the greatest.

In light of this, Skanska has partnered with the consultancy firm Sweco and the railway operator MTR to develop a scenario of green urban development for Stockholm by 2070. The scenario is based on the goal that Sweden’s net emissions of greenhouse gases should be zero by 2050, and on assumptions such as that Stockholm’s population is expected to double by 2070. This article gathers findings from this scenario on how cities can mitigate climate change.

Building efficiently

Considering that heating and electricity use in homes currently represent a significant part of the world’s carbon emissions, building energy efficiency is probably the main point to focus on when working on mitigating climate change within cities. Skanska is a leader on energy efficiency in buildings, with projects carried out, meeting or going beyond current regulations, in terms of reduction of the heat island effect, energy efficient indoor climate and stormwater management.

As an example, Skanska’s new headquarters Entré Lindhagen in Stockholm was designed to have an energy consumption that is 50 per cent below the Swedish regulation. Entré Lindhagen will be self-sufficient in relation to cooling thanks to the Deep Green Cooling™ solution that utilises ground storage to cool the building and ensure low energy usage and high air quality. The green roof with sedum and meadow flowers absorbs water and carbon and the bee hives on the roof will contribute to increased biodiversity.

Promoting sustainable transport

The scenario for Stockholm by 2070 considers that an expansion of public transport, which effectively ties together existing and new neighbourhoods, is required for the city’s potential to grow in a sustainable way.

An example of where Skanska is part of a sustainable city development is Härmälänranta, a former industrial neighbourhood in Tampere, Finland, which is in the process of being redeveloped by Skanska into a new urban district. Härmälänranta is a mixed-use and dense urban neighbourhood which maximises the use of space and reduces the need for people to travel. The neighbourhood is located 5 km from central Tampere and it is well connected with pedestrian and cycle routes as well as public transport. The Härmälänranta blocks themselves were designed to enable pedestrian access by designing clear pedestrian routes and spaces between buildings.

Cooperating with the public sector

Cooperation with the public sector allows planners to think about urban development as a whole, developing land and properties along with infrastructure in order to create public benefit. However, governments often use lowest cost as a main criterion when purchasing services from the construction sector. A shift is required for sustainability to become the priority aspect taken into account in urban development. This will enable greater flexibility and a higher degree of innovation and social benefit.

In regions where financing is a critical issue, funding for resilient infrastructure could therefore come from public-private partnerships.

Alternatively, initiatives like green policies and programmes from the public sector promote sustainable development in cities. Seattle is leading the way on this, with the Seattle Deep Green Pilot Programme. This programme supports the development of a Skanska project, the Stone 34 office. Stone 34 has high efficiency in water and energy, which is in line with the Seattle’s Deep Green programme. Long-term strategies embedding the three aspects described in this article should be advocated for urban development. This will lead to robust and sustainable structures that will support existing needs, whilst planning for the future.

About the author

Noel Morrin is the Senior Vice President Sustainability and Green Support at Skanska AB

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