For staff
The department’s information for staff is available in the staff gateway
The social perspective is missing in the renovation of Sweden’s Million Programme housing
Sweden is currently in the midst of a major wave of renovations. In recent years, around half a million flats have been refurbished, many of them in the so-called Million Programme neighbourhoods. But how does this affect what happens to the people who stay and live there after t...
Free bus passes made a significant difference for residents in disadvantaged areas
SEK 40 for a single journey. That is the cost of a bus ticket with Upplands Lokaltrafik (UL) in Uppsala for residents of the Gottsunda district who want to travel into the city centre. For many, this is far from an insignificant expense. Researchers at IBF and KTH have now examined how free bus pass...
Nature walks may improve women’s recovery
New research shows that time spent in nature not only feels good in the moment – it may also contribute to improved recovery as early as the same night. A recent study finds that women who spend time moving in natural environments during the day have a lower resting heart rate at night and show signs of reduced stress.
The Common City Conference 2026
The next Common City conference, titled Struggling for Urban Justice in a Time of Authoritarianism and Multiple Crises, will be held in Uppsala on 26–28 August.
”The Largest Air-Conditioned Room in the World”: Climate Control and Climate Change in Houston
The event takes place on 24 SeptemberIn this talk Professor Jonathan Levy, Centre for History (CHSP), Sciences Po, will present a book-in-progress on the history of climate change in the late twentieth-century from the perspective of a city: Houston, Texas. Houston has long been the corporate headquarters of the global oil economy. Because of its unique urban form, dominated by sprawl, automobile use, and climate control through air-conditioning, Houston has the most energy-intensive form of urban life in the world.
Uppsala Lecture in Housing and Urban Research: Can cities control the rise of short-term rentals?
The event takes place on 28 SeptemberWhat happens to cities and housing markets when homes are increasingly used as short-term rentals through digital platforms such as Airbnb? And what can local governments do to regulate them? Across Europe, the growth of short-term rental platforms has sparked debates about housing availability and affordability, tourism, neighbourhood change and the right to use and profit from residential property.
Urban Lab
The research programme Urban Lab gathers empirically oriented researchers from different disciplines. Urban Lab is a collaboration between IBF and the Department of Economics.
The Housing and Urban Justice Project
The Housing and Urban Justice Project is a research group that, based on critical theory, focuses on justice in housing and the city.
