Call for applications Coordinated urban development – an essential condition for sustainability

Research Council Formas, Energy Agency (EM), Environmental Protection Agency (NV), National Heritage Board (RAÄ), and National Road Administration/National Rail Administration (VV/BV; to be amalgamated as National Traffic Administration) are jointly calling for applications for grants for research and development projects in the area Coordinated urban development – an essential condition for sustanability.

The task of Research Council Formas is to promote and support basic research, need related research and development projects of the highest scientific quality and public benefit in the areas environment, agricultural sciences and spatial planning. It is also within the sphere of responsibility of Formas to provide information on research and research results.

The Energy Agency is active in a number of sectors of society on creating the conditions for effective and sustainable use of energy and a cost effective Swedish energy provision. The Energy Agency supports research and development from a sysytem perspective in areas such as the supply, conversion, distribution and use of energy.

The Environmental Protection Agency finances research in support of its work on promoting sustainable development based on the ecological dimension. The knowledge contributes to work on environmental quality goals, the environmental code and in international negotiations.

The National Heritage Board is responsible for issues relating to cultural heritage and environments of special architectural or historic interest. Its task is to drive and coordinate cultural heritage work and to endeavour to ensure that the cultural heritage environment is preserved and managed in the best way. The Board also has the task of strengthening the status of cultural heritage as a positive force in the development towards a democratic and long term sustainable society. The Board directs and participates in the work of the cultural heritage sector on developing knowledge of the content of cultural heritage and the changes that take place in this. This is done through e.g. research and development.

The National Traffic Administration commences its work on 1 April 2010 as a new agency (the Road and Rail Administrations will then cease to exist) and will have a role similar to that now jointly exercised by the Rail Administration and Road Administration. The task of the Road Administration is to ensure that socially motivated applied research, development and demonstration activity in the road transport system is planned, initiated, implemented, documented and evaluated, and disseminated. With the help of research environments, the business sector and individuals, renewal and innovation must take place in a European and global perspective. The Rail Administration has a similar role in regard to the railway transport system which also includes trams and underground railways.

Background

The Government Delegation for Sustainable Cities (DHS) has commissioned a survey of research on cities and sustainable urban development that is interdisciplinary, system oriented and has a close association with practical work. The survey shows that different funding institutions mainly support research and development that focus on sector-specific issues, while a holistic perspective and trans-sectoral issues have difficulty in finding funds. Coordination among the funding institutions is needed in order to promote research that ranges over different disciplines and traditional administrative boundaries and can be carried out in collaboration with practitioners. The need for research with an integrated approach is evident. The objective of this call is to support and promote interdisciplinary research and development projects on cities and urban development which are system oriented and have a close association with practical work, and in this way strengthen the advancement of knowledge and development of capability in regard to Sustainable Cities.

In this call in the area Sustainable Cities, Formas is allocating MSEK 15, NV MSEK 3, RAÄ MSEK 3, and VV/BV MSEK 3 over the period 2010-1012. The Energy Agency will decide on funding in the spring of 2010.

In addition to this joint call, there are plans for collaboration on seminars, research communication etc in which the other players in the field of urban development can also participate.

The focus of the call

The world is facing an important paradigm shift. For the first time in history, more people live in towns than in the countryside. In 25 years' time, according to the UN, the urban population will have grown to more than 70 per cent, and more than 90 per cent of this growth will have taken place in developing countries. At the same time, the cities of the world today use 75 per cent of energy resources and produce 80 per cent of greenhouse gases. In Sweden, more than 84 per cent of the population live in urban areas. Towns are becoming increasingly important for the environment in a broad sense, for economic development and for social cohesion.

Towns and urban regions are continually changing, either growing or shrinking. The way these changes take place is of key importance for globally important issues such as climate, environment, energy and resources management, for the inhabitants' demands for an attractive, secure and healthy living environment, natural and cultural environment, and for the ability of the urban regions to act as the engines of sustainable growth. All over the world, work is being done on developing sustainable cities. The knowledge of how sustainable cities are built and managed is created locally, but it also has a global market and comprises the development of new systems of infrastructure, architecture and urban planning. Construction in earlier epochs and the experiences of the historic changes in cities are significant knowledge of urban sustainability. These create the conditions for the ability of a city to adapt to changed circumstances in its environment, e.g. climate changes.

Society has become increasingly complex. New obstacles and opportunities, demands and quality goals have emerged, and both the interaction and conflicts of interest between planning objectives and the players at the local, regional, national and global levels have become much more complicated. Among other things, the globalised economy has drastically altered the conditions for spatial planning.

In principle, the Swedish planning system is geared to new construction. In the town, it is often a matter of carrying out, in existing environments, renewal processes which are based on cooperation among many different players. Coordination among different levels, areas of policy, sectors and industries has thus become much more important in bringing about changes that have the aim of sustainable development.

How are conflicts among different objectives, among different groups, long term and short term considerations, among global and local interests, between town and country, between conservation and renewal, between expanding and contracting regions, managed? What is the impact on urban development of the fact that both property companies and activities are conducted internationally? How can democratic processes – in which citizen participation, local cultural resources, identities and views are considered – hold their own with capital-strong global interests?

Journeys and transport continue to increase. What are the consequences of changes in location and land use, e.g. of urban density, centralisation, depopulation and outmigration? What are the possibilities of correcting undesired developments? What are the effects on natural and cultural environments, energy use and climate, and the comfort, health, security and safety of the urban population? What is instrumental in creating attractivity, economic development and social integration? One important aspect is the way in which access to different destinations is provided for both the business sector and for citizens. Access can be satisfied both by creating physical proximity so that it is possible to reach many everyday destinations by foot or bicycle, and by developing other forms of energy effective transport that require little space and by expanding communication routes or public transport systems. What is the significance of good access for increased mobility, security, equality/equal opportunity for the elderly and other groups of citizens? What is the significance of new or upgraded station facilities for modal choice and the location of activities?

Prioritised areas

• Processes for, and forms of, local and regional cooperation for the implementation of strategic physical changes.
• System solutions in urban planning, infrastructure and architecture which promote trans-sectoral technology development and action patterns towards resource effectiveness, decreased energy use and environmental loading.
• Urban planning, infrastructure and architecture which are instrumental in creating attractive, interesting, secure and safe places for social and cultural meetings, for movements, trade and recreation.
• Urban planning which is instrumental in creating socioeconomic and physical sustainability and provides knowledge on the driving forces of segregation in the urban landscape, and the way these can be countered.

Applications should comprise at least two of the above areas.

Funding institutions will favour applications which

• Deal with interdisciplinary urban problems
• Are system oriented, interdisciplinary and trans-sectoral
• Deal with the different dimensions of sustainability such as the interaction among humans-environment-technology-organisation-economy etc
• Focus on change and implementation
• Are implemented in collaboration among researchers and other players in urban development, for example local authorities or towns
• Are coupled to demonstration/innovation projects
• Take account of/are related to ongoing research and projects in this area.

Instructions

The Formas Handbook contains detailed rules on how the application is to be formulated and will be appraised. The application closes, and the application must have been registered in Formas Direct, no later than 24:00 hours on 8 April 2010.

Formas technical support is open until 16:00 hours on 8 April 2010. Applicants are  advised to submit their applications in good time prior to 16:00 hours on the last day of application so that they may be able to get help if problems arise. Applications are to be made in Formas Direct via an online form. 

Applicants are recommended to write their application in English so that they may be appraised by international experts.

Special instructions

Projects may extend over a maximum of 3 years.

The normal size of a project is judged to be MSEK 2 annually to provide scope for interdisciplinary projects.

Co-funding by the business sector, industries, local authorities is regarded favourably and may have the form of a company/organisation performing its own work in the project.

The total costs of the project, broken down by direct and indirect (overhead) costs, shall be given in the application.

Appraisal

Applications are appraised by a special expert panel comprising representatives of the funding institutions, the scientific community and user interests, in accordance with the criteria set out in the Formas Handbook and in view of the above information. The expert panel submits proposals for the decisions concerning individual projects.

The funding institution concerned will make its decision regarding funding during the autumn of 2010. The earliest date for starting a project is 1 October 2010.

The deadline for the submission of applications is 24:00 hours on 8 April 2010.

For more information contact

Kristina Björnberg, Formas

Tel +46 8-775 4052
Mobile +704 920623

Astrid Fell, Energy Agency

Tel +46 16-544 21 36

Katarina Schough, Environmental Protection Agency

Tel +46 8-698 13 51

Karin Arvastson, National Heritage Board

Tel +46 8-5191 8422

Inga-Maj Eriksson, National Road Administration

Tel +46 243-751 31

Anki Ingelström, National Rail Administration

Rel +46 243-445494