Susanne Urban

Professor of Sociology, Deputy and Deputy Head at the Institute for Housing and Urban Research. I am interested in ideas about how to create social cohesion in cities; consequences of, and causes of, housing and school segregation; neighborhood importance; integration and climate change.

My research can be described with the following four themes:

• Urban development and neighbourhood ideals. On how urban planning, anti-segregation policies and urban ideals have been formulated over time and how these influence segregation in cities.
• Neighbourhood effects. How housing areas influence the individuals that live there. I have studied the long-term effects on income and education and the importance of local social networks for native-born and foreign-born residents.
• Work and business ownership among foreign-born residents. The role of social networks for business owners and the importance of political reforms and privatisation within health care and labour force migration reform.
• Education and school segregation. The consequences of school choice reforms in the form of travel times and long-term consequences for education and income.

Research has been financed in part by the following external projects:

Sustainable or segregated? Energy communities for a broad sustainable energy transition. Formas, projektledare Klas Palm 2021-2024.

The market for upper-secondary education in areas with few Swedes. The choice of upper-secondary programmes among families and students from immigrant backgrounds in ethnically heterogeneous and socio-economically disadvantaged housing areas. Swedish Research Council, project manager Håkan Forsberg 2017–2020.

School choice reforms implementation and long-term consequences for individuals’ social mobility. Swedish Research Council, project manager Susanne Urban 2014–2017. SEK 6.375 million.

Strategies and Structures. A multi-disciplinary study of the preconditions for entrepreneurship among immigrants in Sweden. Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, project manager Martin Klinthäll. 2014–2017.