About Institute for Housing and Urban Research
The IBF buildning. View from Trädgårdsgatan
The Institute for Housing and Urban Research (IBF) is part of Uppsala University and was established in 1994 following a decision by the parliament and the government.
IBF employs around 55 researchers in a multidisciplinary research environment. Our researchers come from disciplines such as cultural geography, economics, sociology, political science, economic history, architecture and environmental psychology and the different perspectives of the disciplines create opportunities for better and more relevant research.
The research at IBF deals with housing and the city in the broadest sense and is summarized under three main themes:
- Housing and society
- Segregation, integration and migration
- Urban development, climate change and the built environment
Much of the research involves investigating the possibilities for creating a sustainable society, from both social, environmental and economic perspectives.
The research projects can be both intra- and cross-disciplinary, and the researchers use both quantitative and qualitative research methods. It is the multidisciplinary approach and the mix of methods that is IBF's strength and that enables research into complex societal issues and challenges.
The institute's aim is to provide interesting and relevant social research of the highest international quality within its field. As a national resource, the institute also wants to be an obvious and valued partner for critical and constructive collaboration with the surrounding society. IBF is part of several collaborative projects and partnerships with the surrounding society, where the aim is to contribute to increasing knowledge about housing issues and urban societal challenges.
IBF's researchers participate as experts in public investigations, research councils and various panels as well as in many recurring collaborative activities such as seminars and conferences.
The Institute owns and manages the journals Housing, Theory and Society and International Journal for Housing Policy.