Investigating ‘Improved quality of life’ -Assessing social dimensions of GrowSmarter - asmart city project in Stockholm

Abstract: This is a case study of the energy efficiency project GrowSmarter and its social impact in Årsta,Stockholm. Solutions for energy efficient mobility, infrastructure and housing have beenimplemented in Stockholm, Barcelona and Cologne. The project is now in the evaluation phaseand this thesis is one part of assessing the social impacts. Qualitative methods, complemented bysurvey results, have mainly been used with the ambition to capture a complex understanding of thecase. Using qualitative methods to assess social issues make it possible to capture attitudes andknowledge of affected stakeholders, i.e. tenants. Thus, in-depth interviews has been used in orderto highlight their perspective. The project’s implemented measures affect the quality of life for thestakeholders. To operationalise the concept of quality of life in relation to GrowSmarter with focuson tenants, I have chosen the following categories as important; behaviour, attitude, participation,sense of belonging/trust, health, economy, climate/environment, engagement. The categories arenot ranked by importance for social sustainability or a good quality of life, but are in different waysfactors that are relevant for assessing social sustainability within this case. Furthermore, thepossibility for affected stakeholders (e.g. residents, travellers, workers) to participate during theplanning process (i.e. before, during and after implementation) is key, as inclusion of citizens inplanning and decision making is an important aspect of social sustainability. Hopefully this thesiswill contribute to the field of planning by providing insights on the local context and socialimpacts of planning and implementing GrowSmarter in Stockholm. The thesis suggest ways toadapt these insights to other cities or places. Key learnings from this case is that if the aim is toinclude social issues in sustainability projects, then the affected stakeholders need to be includedearly in the project process, and be kept included in different ways through planning,implementation and evaluation phases. In addition, behavioural change takes time and requiresome kind of motivation, from within an individual (e.g. concerns about environmental andjustice issues) or a governance perspective (e.g. changed laws and regulations that support andencourage behavioural change). Furthermore, it could benefit from economic incentives such assanctions or subsidies.