Gothenburg

Gothenburg is developing and expanding at a rapid pace, at the cost of reduced spaces for grassroots activities. New forms of collaboration are simultaneously emerging through various experiments with the sharing economy and circularity. In this sub-project, we study how spaces can serve multiple functions in both central and peripheral areas, in private and public buildings and places, and in different socio-economic parts of the city. Additionally, we will explore how the local government's organization, together with civil society, can work to create participatory and supportive infrastructure for grassroots initiatives, as well as the challenges and opportunities for scaling up and spreading these innovations within the city, to other cities and countries.

This project is led by a team of four researchers from two universities, Chalmers university of technology and University of Gothenburg:

• Associate prof Maria Jose Zapata Campos, PhD in urban sociology, docent in business administration University of GRB, Sweden (GU). Expert in social movements, SSE, and public-private collaboration in Sweden, Spain, East Africa and Latin America.
• Associate prof Marco Adelfio, in Applied Urbanism, (Chalmers, Sweden). Expert in multistakeholder dialogue, co-production of knowledge, social inclusion and bottom-up urban transformation processes, and transferability of urban practices.
• Senior lecturer Ulrika Holmberg, Marketing GU. Director of the Consumption Research Centre, at GU, expert in recycling & sustainable housing. 
• Professor Patrik Zapata, public administration GU. His research concerns local governments, sustainable city organizing and local public and community collaboration.

The project is being developed in close collaboration with: 
Majorna Collaboration (Majornas Samverkansförening) Majorna Collaboration (MC) is a grassroots organization focusing on local urban development, youth activities, and citizen initiative. In 2005 the local youth center was shut down by the municipality. A group of parents organized to protest and later started MC to take over the youth center building (the Activity house) and organize youth activities on their own. Since then MC has been operating from the Activity house, with a lot of focus on children and youths, but also on making the local residential area a better place to live through different kinds of projects.

Solidarity Fridge - Solikyl Göteborg The Solikyl is since 2015 a grassroots, open and collaborative project aimed at reducing food waste occurring at households, supermarkets, restaurants, events, through a physical and digital infrastructure (with public food sharing points and a digital platform). Currently there are ten Solidarity Fridges (distribution points) at the city and agreements with more than 25 grocery stores and bakeries

The Democracy and Citizen Service, City of Gothenburg The Democracy and citizen service Administration coordinates and develops the city's common service to those who live, visit and work in the city. The administration conducts proactive democracy work and also leads the city’s work on creating good conditions for sustainable living in the city, as part of The Environment and Climate Programme for the City of Gothenburg 2021-2030 which is the guide and the shared platform for the city’s strategic long-term work for the environment.